Khan Younis, Gaza – Aug 25 — In one of the deadliest incidents of the ongoing war, Israeli forces struck the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza twice on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists and several rescue workers. The first missile hit the hospital’s fourth floor, home to operating rooms and doctors’ quarters—followed minutes later by a second strike as medics and media personnel rushed to the scene.
Among the victims were Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist for the Associated Press, Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera, Moaz Abu Taha, a freelancer for Reuters, Ahmed Abu Aziz, and Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman who was broadcasting live from the hospital’s upper floor.
The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted the area, citing Hamas activity near the site, and announced an internal investigation. Prime Minister Netanyahu called the incident a “tragic mishap,” while international bodies including the UN, France, and Spain condemned the strike as a violation of humanitarian law.
The hospital, already overwhelmed by famine-related cases and war casualties, was plunged into chaos. A British doctor on site described the aftermath as “absolute scenes of disbelief and fear,” with wounded patients trailing blood through crowded corridors.
Journalist groups decried the attack as an assault on press freedom, with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate reporting over 240 media workers killed since the war began in October 2023.
(source npr.org)
—Agencies
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