DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. Israeli forces said on Tuesday that two journalists working for Reuters and the Associated Press who were killed in an airstrike on a Gaza hospital were not the intended targets of the attack.
The strike on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza on Monday killed at least 20 people, including journalists from Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, and other outlets.
“We can confirm that the Reuters and AP journalists were not a target of the strike,” Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told Reuters. He added that Israel’s Chief of the General Staff had ordered an inquiry into how the decision to carry out the strike was made.
Five journalists were killed in the attack, among them Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who was operating a live feed from the hospital when the strike hit. Also killed were Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelancer for the Associated Press, Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera, Moaz Abu Taha, a freelancer who occasionally contributed to Reuters, and Ahmed Abu Aziz of Middle East Eye. Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was wounded.
The Israeli military later released a statement identifying six alleged militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad killed in the strike, but none of the journalists were listed. The statement also acknowledged “several gaps” in the authorization process, including the type of ammunition used and the timing of the decision, which are now under review.
The military said its troops had identified a camera “positioned by Hamas” near the hospital, allegedly used to monitor Israeli forces, and struck the site to “dismantle the threat.”
Hamas disputed Israel’s account, saying that some of the individuals named by the military were killed elsewhere and not at the hospital. The group denied that any of those killed at Nasser hospital were militants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the incident a “tragic mishap.”
In a letter to Israeli officials, Reuters and AP demanded accountability. “These journalists were present in their professional capacity, doing critical work bearing witness,” the letter read. “We hope this probe will be quick, thorough and provide clear answers. These deaths demand urgent and transparent accountability.”
Reuters has frequently broadcast live footage from Nasser hospital throughout the war, providing daily feeds from the site in recent weeks.
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
