Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip)
At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed on Monday after an Israeli airstrike struck the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Officials said the attack was a “double-tap strike,” with a second missile hitting moments after the first, killing victims and rescuers.
Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in Khan Younis, has endured repeated raids during the 22-month-long war, struggling with critical shortages of staff and supplies. Israel’s military did not immediately respond to requests for comment but later confirmed it carried out a strike in the hospital area, adding that an investigation was underway.
The victims included Mariam Daqqa, 33, a freelancer for the Associated Press, who had been reporting from the hospital since the war began. Al Jazeera confirmed that its journalist Mohammed Salam was among the dead, while Reuters said cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed and photographer Hatem Khaled injured. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate also named Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz among the slain.
Media organisations condemned the strike, with Al Jazeera calling it a “systematic campaign to silence the truth,” while Reuters said it was “devastated” by the loss of its contributor. Reporters Without Borders described the killings as an unprecedented attack on press freedom.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began — making it one of the deadliest conflicts ever for the press.
