Two successive strikes struck Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis on Monday, killing 20 people, including five journalists. This comes just weeks after an Israeli strike on a tent near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on August 10, which killed five Al Jazeera journalists, including Anas Al-Sharif.
Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, a total of 246 journalists have been reported killed, according to Gaza’s government media office. Al Jazeera’s count is slightly higher, reporting at least 273 journalist deaths.
Israel Says It Will Probe Deadly Strikes That Claimed Lives of Journalists
After Monday’s strike on Nasser Hospital, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they had launched an investigation. They expressed regret for the harm caused to civilians and said that journalists are not intentionally targeted. The IDF also claimed that Hamas uses civilian buildings, including hospitals, for military purposes, and stated that Hamas has operated from Nasser Hospital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack a “tragic mishap.” His office said Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and other civilians.
Gaza’s government media office identified the five journalists killed at Nasser Hospital on Monday. They include Hossam Al-Masri, a photojournalist with Reuters; Mohammed Salama, a photojournalist with Al Jazeera; Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist who worked with multiple news outlets including the Associated Press; Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist who contributed to Reuters and other news organizations; and Ahmad Abu Aziz, who worked freelance for several media outlets including Quds Feed Network.
Global Media Groups Mourn Deaths of Gaza Journalists
According to the Associated Press, Mariam Daqqa often reported from Nasser Hospital. She recently covered how medics were struggling to save children from starvation. Mariam had been displaced multiple times during the war, and her 13-year-old son was evacuated from Gaza earlier. On Facebook, she once wrote, “When you see the soil covering the most precious thing you have, only then will you realize how trivial life is.”
Al Jazeera reported that its cameraperson, Mohammed Salama, was about to marry fellow Palestinian journalist Hala Asfour. They had planned to celebrate their wedding after a ceasefire.
In addition to the Nasser Hospital victims, journalist Hassan Douhan, who worked for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper, was killed in a separate incident. Gaza’s government media office said he was shot by Israeli forces in the Mawasi Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
Reuters expressed devastation over the deaths of its cameraman Hossam Al-Masri and freelance journalist Moaz Abu Taha. The agency also requested urgent medical assistance for its photographer Hatem Khaled, who was wounded in the attack.
Also Read: Shock in Gaza: Germany Demands Action After Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike
