Israeli jets pound Gaza's European Hospital, killing six

For the second time in a one day, the Israeli army has struck a hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to medics, at least six people were killed in Tuesday's strike on the European Hospital.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a "a precise strike on Hamas terrorists in a command and control center," located in an underground structure beneath the facility.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Unconfirmed Israeli media reports suggested the target may have been Mohammed al-Sinwar, the younger brother of Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar, who was killed last year.

Mohammed al-Sinwar is considered a rising figure in the Islamist group and is believed to have taken over as head of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, following the death of military chief Mohammed Deif.

There was no immediate confirmation from Palestinians on the identities of those killed, or whether al-Sinwar was among them.

Witnesses described a highly tense atmosphere on the ground after what they said were particularly powerful Israeli strikes. The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza reported that more than 40 people were injured in the European Hospital strike.

Earlier, the Israeli military also targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, similarly claiming it was being used by Hamas militants. Palestinian authorities said three people were killed in that attack.

The Israeli army has long accused Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in Gaza for military purposes. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), however, condemned the strike on Nasser Hospital as "unacceptable."