Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Hospital Kills 20, Including Five Journalists

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Khan Younis, Gaza — At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed when Israeli forces bombed Al-Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, in one of the deadliest attacks on media workers since the conflict began nearly two years ago.

According to Palestinian health officials, the first strike hit near a Reuters live broadcast position at the hospital, killing Hussam al-Masri, a Palestinian cameraman working with Reuters. Moments later, a second strike targeted rescuers and reporters rushing to the scene, causing additional casualties among journalists, medics, and civilians.

Those killed in the attack included:

• * Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelancer for the Associated Press (AP)
  * Mohammed Salama, working with Al Jazeera
  * Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist occasionally contributing to Reuters
  * Ahmed Abu Aziz, a local reporter

Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was critically injured.

In a statement, Reuters said it was “devastated” by the deaths of al-Masri and Abu Taha, and urged authorities to provide immediate medical help to Khaled. The Associated Press described the attack as “shocking and heartbreaking,” noting that Abu Dagga had been covering malnutrition cases among children in Gaza days before her death.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the strike as “an open war on free media,” accusing Israel of attempting to silence journalists documenting the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deaths a “tragic mishap,” stressing that Israel’s war is directed against Hamas, not journalists or medical staff. The Israeli military confirmed targeting the vicinity of the hospital and announced a formal inquiry into the incident.

The strike follows the killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and four other journalists two weeks ago, an attack Israel later claimed was aimed at Hamas operatives.

According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, over 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, making Gaza one of the deadliest conflict zones for the press in modern history.

With foreign reporters barred from entering Gaza since the start of the war, local Palestinian journalists have become the primary source of on-the-ground reporting, often at grave personal risk.

Thank you for reading! For comprehensive news coverage and exclusive stories, visit SafartiTarjuman.com