The Gaza Civil Defense Agency said on Monday that at least 20 journalists were killed in an Israeli attack on a hospital in the south. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the Gaza Security Agency, said, “The attack on Nasir Hospital in Khan Yunis in the south has killed 20 people, including five journalists and a member of the Civil Defense.
According to media monitoring groups, nearly 200 journalists have been killed in the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military confirmed in a statement on Monday that its forces had attacked the Nasir Hospital area in Khan Yunis on Monday. “The Israeli army chief has ordered a preliminary investigation to be carried out as soon as possible,” the army said in a statement. “The Israeli army regrets any harm to individuals not affiliated with the militant group, and Israel does not target journalists.”
According to the Civil Defense Agency, an Israeli explosive drone targeted a building at Nasser Hospital. A spokesman for the Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera said on Monday that one of its photojournalists and cameraman, Mohamed Salama, had been killed in the attack. “The Al Jazeera media network condemns this heinous crime in the strongest terms. The army directly targeted and killed the journalist as part of a planned campaign to silence the truth,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
The Associated Press (AP) said in a statement that it was shocked and saddened by the death of 33-year-old photojournalist Maryam Dagga. Earlier, a statement said that Dagga was not in any position at the agency at the time of her murder. A Reuters spokesperson said, “We are shocked to learn that Reuters’ Hussam al-Masri was killed and Hatem Khalid was injured in an Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Gaza.”
“We are urgently seeking more information and have called on the authorities in Gaza and Israel to help obtain immediate medical assistance for Hatem,” the spokesman said in a statement. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate named the other two journalists killed as Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz. An AFP correspondent said Abu Taha had worked for several Palestinian and international publications.
A media ban in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas have made it impossible for AFP to independently verify the numbers and details provided by the Civil Defense Agency or the Israeli military. Footage obtained by AFP immediately after the attack showed smoke from the explosion and debris on the ground outside the hospital.
