Five Journalists Among 20 Killed in Gaza Hospital Strike

• Aug 26, 2025

At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in an Israeli double strike on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The incident in Khan Yunis marks one of the deadliest attacks on journalists since the start of the conflict.

The victims included reporters working with Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye. Four health workers were also killed, the World Health Organization confirmed. Footage from the scene showed the second strike hitting rescuers who had rushed to assist victims of the initial blast.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a “tragic mishap” and said a military investigation was underway. The deaths add to what press freedom group CPJ has described as the deadliest conflict ever documented for journalists, with nearly 200 killed in Gaza since October 2023.

International journalists have been barred by Israel from independently entering Gaza since the war began, leaving much of the reporting to local correspondents. Monday’s strike highlights the risks faced by those covering the conflict. Video footage captured the chaos as explosions shattered hospital windows, sending people running for cover while injured victims struggled to reach safety.

Among the journalists killed was Reuters cameraman Husam al-Masri, who had been operating a live feed from the hospital roof. The broadcast cut off at the moment of the first strike. AP confirmed that freelance journalist Mariam Dagga, aged 33, also died in the attack. Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Middle East Eye freelancer Ahmed Abu Aziz, and photographer Moaz Abu Taha were also killed. Reuters said Taha had contributed to several international outlets.

Medical staff described scenes of devastation. Hadil Abu Zaid, from the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, said she was inside the ICU when “explosions tore through the operating theatre right next to us,” adding that “the killed and injured were everywhere.”

Global leaders quickly condemned the strike. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a “prompt and impartial investigation” and repeated his demand for a ceasefire. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini denounced the killings as “silencing the last remaining voices” in Gaza. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “horrified,” while French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as “intolerable.”

The attack came two weeks after six journalists, including four from Al Jazeera, were killed near al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported that 58 bodies arrived at hospitals on Monday alone, including 28 people killed while trying to collect food aid. It said at least 300 people, including 117 children, have now died from malnutrition.

The war began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Israel’s military response has since left more than 62,000 Palestinians dead, according to health ministry figures regarded as reliable by the UN.