Journalists Among Victims in Israeli Strike on Gaza Hospital
At least fifteen people have been killed in Gaza after an Israeli strike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and among those who lost their lives were four journalists working for international media outlets. According to Gaza’s health officials, the attack unfolded in two stages. A first strike targeted the hospital’s fourth floor, and while people rushed to help the wounded, a second blast struck again, killing even more.
Reports confirmed that the victims included Husam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman; Mariam Abu Daqqa, a journalist who had contributed to the Associated Press and other international outlets; Mohammad Salama, a photographer with Al Jazeera; and freelance journalist Moaz Abu Taha. Each of them had been documenting the ongoing war and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Their deaths have shocked colleagues and news organizations worldwide, with the Associated Press saying it was “shocked and saddened” at losing Abu Daqqa, while Al Jazeera described the attack as a direct assault on press freedom.
Also Read:Video footage from the hospital captured the terrifying moments. A doctor stood at the entrance showing reporters bloodied clothing from the first strike when another explosion suddenly shook the building, sending glass flying and people scattering in panic. Smoke poured from the hospital’s upper floors, and outside, the chaos was filled with shouts, ambulance sirens, and desperate attempts to pull the injured to safety.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had carried out an attack in the area but said it did not deliberately target journalists. An internal investigation was reported to have been launched. Still, this explanation has not stopped widespread condemnation. The United Nations called the killing of journalists in Gaza a grave breach of international law, while rights groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists have criticized Israel for failing to provide evidence when labeling reporters as militants.
This latest attack has drawn grim comparisons to another incident just two weeks ago, when six journalists—four of them from Al Jazeera—were killed in a strike near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. At that time, Israel had claimed that one of the reporters, Anas al-Sharif, was a Hamas operative, but no supporting evidence was ever released.
The situation highlights the extreme danger faced by journalists in Gaza, which has now become the deadliest place in the world for reporters. More than 270 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the war began, according to Al Jazeera’s tally. Many of them had been using hospitals as makeshift workspaces, since electricity and internet access remain scarce across the territory.
International outrage continues to mount. Press freedom advocates have stressed that targeting journalists not only violates humanitarian law but also silences voices that bring the world closer to understanding the human cost of the conflict. Families of the victims are left grieving, while colleagues in newsrooms across the globe are mourning the loss of reporters who risked everything to tell the story of Gaza.
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