The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 20 people were killed in two Israeli strikes on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Among the victims were five journalists working for international media outlets, including Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that four medical staff members were also killed. Footage from the scene showed the second strike occurring as rescue workers rushed in to help victims of the initial attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a “tragic mistake” and said the military was conducting a “thorough investigation.”
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Heavy Losses Among Journalists
The latest deaths bring the number of journalists killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to nearly 200, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The CPJ noted that this conflict has been the deadliest for journalists in history, with more media workers killed in Gaza over the past two years than the global total of the preceding three years.
Since the war broke out, Israel has barred independent international journalists from entering Gaza. Some reporters have entered under Israeli military control, but most international outlets rely heavily on local journalists for coverage.
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Harrowing Footage from the Scene
Video from August 25 showed a doctor standing at the hospital entrance holding up bloodstained clothing for reporters when a sudden explosion shattered glass and sent crowds fleeing. One injured man was seen dragging himself toward safety.
Another live broadcast by Al-Ghad TV showed rescuers and journalists on the hospital’s rooftop documenting the aftermath of the first strike. Suddenly, a second explosion directly hit the area, engulfing the scene in smoke and debris. At least one body was visible in the aftermath.
Reuters confirmed that its photographer Husam al-Masri was killed while live-streaming from the rooftop. Another Reuters photographer, Hatem Khaled, was injured in the second strike.
The AP reported that its freelance journalist Mariam Dagga, 33, also died in the attack. Other victims included Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Middle East Eye freelancer Ahmed Abu Aziz, and photographer Moaz Abu Taha, who had previously worked with several media outlets, including Reuters.
Reuters said it was “deeply saddened” and was urgently seeking further information. The AP expressed “shock and grief” over Dagga’s death.
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Medical and Humanitarian Impact
The Hamas-run civil defense said one of its members was also killed. A staff member from the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, Hadil Abu Zaid, described being inside the intensive care unit when the blast shook the operating theater next door.
“There were casualties everywhere,” she said, calling the scene “unbearable.”
The attacks triggered international outrage. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the killings underscored the extreme risks faced by journalists and medical staff during the conflict. He called for a “swift and impartial investigation” and demanded an “immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the deaths, saying it was an attempt to “silence the last voices reporting on children dying quietly in famine.” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “shocked,” while French President Emmanuel Macron called the strikes “intolerable.”
Escalating Human Toll
This incident followed another strike two weeks earlier, when six journalists, including four from Al Jazeera, were killed near Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital.
On the same day as the Nasser Hospital attack, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 58 bodies from Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals, with many more believed to be trapped under rubble.
Among the dead were 28 people killed while waiting for aid at food distribution points. Hospitals also recorded 11 deaths from malnutrition, including two children. In total, 300 people—117 of them children—have reportedly died from hunger-related causes during the war.
Background of the Conflict
The ongoing war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Israel responded with a massive military offensive.
According to UN-verified figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 62,744 Palestinians have been killed since then.
Article Source：bbc
Post time: Aug-27-2025
