An Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza has resulted in the death of at least five journalists, sparking international condemnation and renewed scrutiny of the risks faced by reporters in the conflict zone. The incident, which occurred at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, also claimed the lives of over a dozen other individuals, including medical and civil defense personnel.
The strike on Monday consisted of what witnesses described as a “double-tap” attack. The initial strike hit an upper floor of the hospital where journalists were known to set up live feeds. A second strike followed minutes later, hitting an external staircase as first responders and other journalists rushed to assist the wounded. Video footage captured the second blast, which resulted in many of the casualties.
The journalists killed were identified as Mohammad Salama (Al Jazeera), Hussam al-Masri (Reuters), Mariam Abu Dagga (freelated to The Associated Press), and freelancers Moath Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Reuters confirmed that al-Masri was operating a live feed that “suddenly shut down” at the moment of the initial impact. A sixth journalist, Hassan Douhan, was reported killed in a separate strike on the same day.
In response, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement calling the incident a “tragic mishap” and expressing regret, while the Israeli military announced an internal investigation. It claimed the military was targeting what it suspected was a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital’s roof.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that Israel has killed 189 Palestinian journalists since the start of the war, calling the Nasser Hospital strike part of “the most horrific attacks the press has ever faced in recent history.” The Foreign Press Association has urged Israel to “halt its abhorrent practice of targeting journalists.” The United Nations, Britain, and France have also condemned the attack.
Palestinian journalists, who have become the primary source of on-the-ground reporting due to Israel’s restrictions on international media access to Gaza, have previously spoken about the immense personal and professional toll of covering the conflict. The killing of journalists has led to a dwindling community of reporters, many of whom have also lost family members or been displaced themselves.
