Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital kill at least 20, including 6 journalists

At least 20 people, including six journalists, medical staff, and patients, were killed in strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “tragic mishap.”

The strikes occurred on Monday at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, said at least 20 people were killed at “the only general hospital operating in the south of the Gaza Strip.”

The ministry said the dead included medical staff, patients, journalists, and civil defense workers, with dozens more injured.

At least six journalists working with Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, and Middle East Eye were among those killed in the strikes.

“We are devastated to learn that cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a contractor for Reuters, was killed this morning in Israeli strikes on Nasser hospital,” Reuters said in a statement. “Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist whose work had been occasionally published by Reuters, was also killed, and photographer Hatem Khaled, a Reuters contractor, was wounded.”

The Associated Press said it was “shocked and saddened” to learn of the death of 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist and freelancer who contributed to the outlet and other media organizations.

Other journalists and freelancers killed included Hassan Douhan for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Ahmad Abu Aziz for the Middle East Eye, and Mohammed Salama for Al Jazeera.

“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this horrific crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, who have directly targeted and assassinated journalists as part of a systematic campaign to silence the truth,” the outlet said in a statement.

Al Jazeera said this was the tenth journalist from the network killed in Gaza since the start of the war, part of more than 240 journalists killed overall.

The attack at Nasser Hospital comes two weeks after a deliberate Israeli airstrike on a media tent at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza killed at least five Al Jazeera journalists and media staff, including prominent correspondents Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea.

Live footage broadcast after Monday’s strike showed medical and rescue workers at the scene of the initial blast at the hospital, before a second strike appeared to target them.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom said at least four health care workers were killed in the strikes and 50 people were injured, including critically ill patients who were already receiving treatment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “deeply regrets the tragic mishap” at the hospital and noted that military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. “Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home,” Netanyahu added.

U.S. President Donald Trump, asked about the strikes, responded: “When did this happen? I didn’t know that. Well, I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare.”