At least 15 people, including four journalists, were killed on Monday after Israeli air strikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that the attack began with an Israeli explosive drone strike on a hospital building, followed by an air strike as rescuers attempted to evacuate the wounded. Among the dead were three photojournalists—Hossam Al-Masri, Mohammad Salama, and Mariam Dagga—along with journalist Moaz Abu Taha. Al Jazeera later confirmed that Salama, one of its cameramen, died in the attack.
International news outlets also reported losses: Reuters confirmed two of its contractors were among the dead and injured, while the Associated Press said Mariam Dagga had worked as a freelancer for the agency.
Footage from the aftermath showed smoke billowing over the hospital, rubble scattered across the compound, and civilians carrying bloodied bodies, including medical staff who were caught in the strike.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the killings, describing the reporters as having been “martyred in the line of duty.” Media rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the targeting of press workers in Gaza, where nearly 200 journalists have been killed since the war began almost two years ago.
Earlier this month, four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers were killed in another strike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denounced that attack, warning that deliberately targeting journalists constitutes a war crime.
The ongoing conflict was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 assault on Israel, which left more than 1,200 people dead. Since then, Israel’s military offensive has killed over 62,000 Palestinians—most of them civilians—according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry, numbers the UN considers credible.
As the war intensifies, the mounting toll on civilians and journalists alike continues to draw global outrage and condemnation.
-Deeprows News
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