Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike struck the fourth floor of southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital on Monday, killing at least 15 people, including four journalists, according to health officials.
Rescue teams said the attack was a “double-tap strike,” in which one missile hit first and another followed moments later as medics and civilians rushed in to help.
Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, confirmed the casualties: “The death toll is 15, including four journalists and one civil defense member.”
Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, has endured repeated bombardments during 22 months of war. The facility already faces severe shortages of supplies and medical staff.
Journalists Among the Dead
Hospital officials identified the journalists killed as Hossam al-Masri, Reuters, Mohammed Salama, Al Jazeera, Maryam Abu Daqqa, freelancer who also worked with the Associated Press and Moaz Abu Taha, freelancer.
Reuters said photographer Hatem Khaled, a contractor for the agency, was wounded. Another Reuters journalist, Haithem Omar, was also injured.
Israeli Response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, saying it would conduct an initial review. The statement added that Israel “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such.”
Israel has faced growing criticism for the rising number of journalists killed in Gaza. On August 11, a strike killed five Al Jazeera journalists, including Anas al-Sharif. Israel later claimed al-Sharif was linked to Hamas, though the network rejected those allegations.
Heavy Civilian Toll
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 62,686 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, which killed 1,200 people and left 251 taken hostage. About half of those killed in Gaza are women and children, the ministry says.
The United Nations and independent experts cite Gaza’s health ministry figures as the most reliable available, though Israel disputes the numbers and does not release its own.
