By Gloria Nosa
Israel is facing mounting international condemnation after back-to-back strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, left at least 20 people dead, including five journalists, four medical workers, and other civilians on Monday.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the assault unfolded in what observers described as a “double-tap” strike—two consecutive attacks spaced minutes apart—targeting a hospital balcony frequently used by journalists for reporting.
Journalists and Medical Workers Among the Dead
Hospital spokesman Dr. Mohammad Saqer, head of nursing, confirmed the casualties, naming the five slain journalists as:
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Mohammad Salama (Al Jazeera)
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Hussam Al-Masri (Reuters contractor)
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Mariam Abu Dagga (Associated Press and Independent Arabic)
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Moath Abu Taha (freelancer)
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Ahmed Abu Aziz (freelancer)
Four health workers and a Gaza Civil Defense crew member also perished in the blasts. Video footage from the scene captured the horror—medical staff and journalists documenting the aftermath of the first strike were engulfed by a second explosion, triggering panic and chaos.
IDF Admission and Netanyahu’s Response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted carrying out the strikes. Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said civilians, including journalists, had been harmed, insisting that Israel does not “intentionally target civilians.” He described Gaza as an “extremely complex reality” and accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes.
However, an Israeli security official later disclosed to local media that troops had identified a camera on the hospital roof allegedly used by Hamas for surveillance. Authorization was granted to strike it, but instead of a precision hit, two tank shells were fired—one destroying the camera position, the other killing first responders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conceded that journalists and emergency crews were killed, calling the incident a “tragic mishap.” He pledged a “thorough investigation” and emphasized that Israel “values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians.”
International Condemnation
The attack has drawn widespread outrage. The Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian Territories described it as “among the deadliest Israeli attacks on journalists working for international media since the Gaza war began,” calling it a “watershed moment.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killings, stressing that journalists and medical staff must be protected at all times. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) accused Israel of possible “unlawful killings” and “war crimes.”
Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced the strikes as a direct assault on “the only partially functioning public hospital in southern Gaza,” warning that its staff had been forced to shelter amid repeated shelling.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate went further, branding the incident a “heinous massacre” and accusing Israel of deliberately targeting members of the press.
Rising Toll on Journalists
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the CPJ reports that at least 192 journalists have been killed, raising urgent concerns about press freedom, accountability, and adherence to international humanitarian law.
With Monday’s attack, many rights groups argue that Israel has crossed a dangerous threshold, intensifying calls for an independent international investigation into the conduct of its military operations in Gaza.
