At least 20 individuals, including five journalists from international media, have been killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry of the territory. Confirmations from Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, and the Middle East Eye indicate four of those journalists were their staff.
Footage shows a secondary strike occurring after the initial one, targeting rescuers at the scene. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced an investigation into the hospital strike. They stated they do not specifically target journalists but did not disclose further details regarding the strike.
These fatalities add to the nearly 200 journalists killed in Gaza since the war’s onset in October 2023. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which advocates for press freedom, states this conflict has been the deadliest on record for journalists, reporting more journalist deaths there in the past two years than globally in the previous three years.
Since the war began, Israel has restricted international journalists’ independent entry into Gaza. However, the IDF has granted controlled access for some, forcing international media to lean on local reporters for much of their Gaza coverage.
Videos from Monday’s attack show a doctor at the hospital’s main entrance in southern Gaza, displaying bloodied clothes to journalists post the first strike. An explosion follows as people scramble for cover amid shattering glass, showing an injured man dragging himself to safety. Al-Ghad TV captured graphic footage of emergency responders during the initial strike and subsequent attack on them and journalists, resulting in visible casualties.
Among those killed was Reuters’ camera operator Husam al-Masri, who lost his life while running a live TV feed before the airstrike hit, and amidst the second strike photographer Hatem Khaled was injured. Reuters expressed devastation and urgency for more information. AP reported Mariam Dagga, a freelance journalist, also died, expressing shock and sorrow over the 33-year-old’s death.
Others killed included Mohammad Salama of Al Jazeera, Ahmed Abu Aziz, a freelancer for Middle East Eye, and photographer Moaz Abu Taha. US TV network NBC stated Taha was not affiliated with them as previously reported. Additionally, a member of the Hamas-run Civil Defence was killed as per AFP.
This attack occurred two weeks after six journalists, including four from Al Jazeera, were killed in an Israeli target near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The UN’s human rights office condemned that attack as a severe violation of international law. The IDF aimed the strike at Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter accused of leading a terrorist cell within Hamas, though CPJ noted Israel had not substantiated its claim.
The war was launched by a Hamas-led assault on Israel on 7 October, resulting in around 1,200 casualties and 251 individuals taken to Gaza as hostages. In response, Israel’s military campaign has reportedly killed over 62,686 Palestinians based on figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, considered reliable by the UN.