Monday, an Israeli airstrike targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, during a live broadcast on Al-Ghad TV, killing at least 15 people, including four journalists and one civil defense member, according to Gaza’s health ministry and civil defense officials.
The attack was a “double-tap” strike, with a second missile hitting shortly after the first as rescue teams arrived, killing and injuring civil defense workers and others. Among the journalists killed were Reuters photographer Hussam Al-Masri, Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, and freelancers Mariam Abu Daqqa and Moaz Abu Taha.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating it was aimed at a threat in the hospital area, which had been evacuated, and expressed regret for harm to civilians while trying to pull cover by ordering an “immediate inquiry.”
The IDF has claimed such strikes target Hamas operatives in medical facilities but often provides no evidence. Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, has faced repeated attacks over 22 months of conflict, exacerbating shortages of supplies and staff.