At least 20 people lost their lives in a double air strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Among the dead were five journalists confirmed by Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, BBC reports.
The World Health Organization’s director general said four medical workers were also killed. Footage from the scene showed rescuers rushing to help victims of the first strike before a second blast struck them directly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a «tragic mishap» and said the military was «conducting a thorough investigation». Nearly 200 journalists have now been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says it has been the deadliest conflict for reporters ever recorded.
Journalists Among the Dead
Reuters confirmed the loss of its cameraman Husam al-Masri, who was operating a live feed at the moment of the first strike. A second Reuters contributor, photographer Hatem Khaled, was injured. AP said freelance reporter Mariam Dagga, aged 33, was also killed.
The other victims included Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Middle East Eye freelancer Ahmed Abu Aziz and photographer Moaz Abu Taha. Reuters said Abu Taha had worked with several outlets, though NBC clarified he was not affiliated with its network.
Witness Accounts and Reactions
Hadil Abu Zaid of the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said she was inside the ICU when explosions hit the adjacent operating theatre.
«The killed and injured were everywhere,» she said, calling the aftermath «unbearable».
UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the killings, stressing that medical staff and journalists faced «extreme risks» and demanding an impartial investigation as well as a permanent ceasefire. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, said the attack was «silencing the last remaining voices» reporting on Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was «horrified» by the strike, while French President Emmanuel Macron described it as «intolerable». The attack follows a similar incident two weeks ago in which six journalists, including four from Al Jazeera, were killed near al-Shifa hospital.
Rising Civilian Toll
Gaza’s health ministry said 58 bodies of people killed in Israeli attacks reached hospitals in the past day, with many more trapped beneath rubble. Twenty-eight of the dead were said to have been killed while trying to collect food aid. Hospitals also reported 11 further deaths from malnutrition, including two children, bringing the total number of deaths linked to hunger to 300, among them 117 children.
The conflict erupted after Hamas launched an assault on Israel on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a military campaign that has so far killed more than 62,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, whose figures are regarded as credible by the United Nations.
