Israeli Airstrikes Kill Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera Journalists, 16 Others – Officials

At least 20 people, including five journalists working with major international media outlets, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to local officials.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence said the attack came in two waves: an initial strike that killed several people, followed by one that hit the city as rescuers and journalists rushed to the scene.

According to the BBC, witnesses and video footage confirmed that both emergency workers and reporters were among the dead.

Among those killed was Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman who was operating a live television feed on the hospital rooftop when the first strike hit.

Reuters confirmed his death and said another of its photographers, Hatem Khaled, was injured in a follow-up strike while filming.

The Associated Press confirmed the death of Mariam Dagga, a 33-year-old freelance journalist working with the agency. AP described itself as “shocked and saddened” by the loss.

Mohammed Salama, a cameraman for Al Jazeera who also contributed to Middle East Eye, was also killed. In addition, Ahmad Abu Aziz, a freelance journalist with Middle East Eye based in Khan Younis, died of his injuries after the strike, according to the outlet.

A fifth journalist, Moaz Abu Taha, a photographer, was also among the victims, though his media affiliation remains unclear. U.S. network NBC said he did not work for the channel, despite initial reports to the contrary.

BBC Verify reviewed multiple videos from the scene. One livestream by Alghad TV showed emergency workers and journalists on a hospital stairway moments before the strike, which then sent debris and smoke into the air. Bodies were visible in the aftermath.

A second video from the same stairway showed several casualties as medics attempted to respond. Another clip filmed outside the hospital captured a medical worker holding up bloodied clothes before another explosion forced people to scatter.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it carried out strikes in the area of Nasser Hospital, but did not explain why the building was hit.

In a statement, the military said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such” and noted that an initial inquiry had been ordered.

“The IDF acts to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible while maintaining the safety of IDF troops,” it added.

The strike comes just two weeks after six journalists were killed in an Israeli attack near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. That incident, which included four Al Jazeera reporters, was condemned by the UN human rights office as a breach of international law.

At the time, the Israeli military said it was targeting Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, whom it accused of heading a Hamas “terrorist cell.”

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says more than 190 journalists have been killed in the 22 months of war, making Gaza the deadliest conflict zone for the press in recent history.

Israeli Airstrikes Kill Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera Journalists, 16 Others – Officials is first published on The Whistler Newspaper