GAZA STRIP. Israeli airstrikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists, and injuring scores of others, according to Palestinian health officials and media organizations.
Witnesses said the first strike hit an upper floor of the hospital, killing Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who had been operating a live broadcast feed. A second strike followed, hitting the stairwell as journalists, medics, and rescue workers rushed to the scene, killing more people, including Associated Press freelancer Mariam Abu Dagga, Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Salama, freelance reporter Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Photographer Hatem Khaled, a Reuters contractor, was wounded.
The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strikes and said it was investigating the incident. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the attack a “tragic mishap,” stressing that Israel’s war was with Hamas and not journalists or civilians. Brigadier General Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesperson, said an internal inquiry would be conducted in line with international law.
Hospital officials said around 80 others were wounded in the blasts, many of them in the hospital courtyard. Al Ghad television broadcast footage showing journalists and rescuers climbing the hospital stairs moments before the second strike, which engulfed the area in smoke.
Reuters and the Associated Press condemned the attack, with both organizations demanding accountability and protection for journalists. “We are outraged that independent journalists were among the victims of this strike on the hospital, a location that is protected under international law,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said nearly 200 media workers, most of them Palestinians, have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate accused Israel of waging “an open war against free media.”
The United Nations, Britain, France, and other governments condemned the strike, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “not happy about it” when asked at the White House.
Israel has repeatedly targeted hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them for military purposes, though evidence has rarely been presented. Nasser Hospital, one of the largest medical facilities still operating in Gaza, has been struck several times over the past year.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
