At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed Monday in a double Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The attack struck rescuers and reporters covering the aftermath of an earlier blast, amplifying international outrage over the mounting toll on civilians, medical workers, and members of the press.
The journalists killed worked with Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye, their organizations confirmed. Four health workers also died, according to the World Health Organization.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a “tragic mishap” and said military authorities were “conducting a thorough investigation.”
A ‘Double-Tap’ Strike
Video from the scene shows chaos outside the hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility in the south. A doctor displayed bloodied clothes to reporters moments after the first strike when a second blast hit, sending glass and rubble flying. Footage captured by al-Ghad TV showed emergency responders and journalists on a stairwell — a frequent vantage point for coverage — when the second strike detonated, killing several instantly.
Among the dead were Reuters cameraman Husam al-Masri, AP freelancer Mariam Dagga, Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Middle East Eye contributor Ahmed Abu Aziz, and photographer Moaz Abu Taha, who had worked with multiple outlets. Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was injured.
“This is devastating,” Reuters said in a statement, adding that it was “urgently seeking more information.” AP said it was “shocked and saddened” by Dagga’s death.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence reported that one of its members was also killed.
Gaza: Deadliest War for Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says nearly 200 reporters have died in Gaza since October 2023, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists on record. More press members have been killed in Gaza over the past two years than worldwide in the three years prior, CPJ said.
International reporters remain barred by Israel from entering Gaza independently. Most foreign coverage relies on local journalists working under extreme risk.
Rising Civilian Toll
The Hamas-run health ministry reported that 58 bodies reached hospitals in the past 24 hours, with many more believed trapped under rubble. Among them, 28 were killed while seeking food aid. Another 11 people — including two children — died of malnutrition, bringing the total number of such deaths to 300, including 117 children.
Since the war began with Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 62,744 Palestinians, according to figures the United Nations deems credible.
Global Condemnation
The strike drew swift international rebuke.
“These latest horrific killings highlight the extreme risks that medical personnel and journalists face as they carry out their vital work amid this brutal conflict,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres, demanding “a prompt, and impartial investigation” and calling for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, condemned the attack for “silencing the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently amid famine.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “horrified,” while French President Emmanuel Macron called the strike “intolerable.”
The attack comes just two weeks after another Israeli strike killed six journalists near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, including four Al Jazeera reporters.
