Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the attack on a medical facility in the Gaza Strip that killed 20 people, including five journalists, a “tragic mistake.”
He stressed that Israel “respects the work of media workers, medical workers and all civilians,” adding that a military investigation is underway into the incident.
According to local medical workers, Israeli forces first attacked a major hospital in Gaza and then struck the facility again after journalists and rescuers arrived on the scene, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more.
The incident was one of the bloodiest in a series of Israeli military attacks on medical facilities and members of the press in the 22 months of the conflict that began with Hamas' aggression on October 7, 2023. The incident occurred against the backdrop of Israel's plans to expand its military operation into densely populated areas.
The first attack targeted the upper floors of Nasser Hospital in southern Khan Younis.
A second shell hit the building minutes later, as journalists and rescuers in orange vests rushed toward it, said Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, who headed the pediatric department.
Among the victims was Mariam Dagga, 33, a photojournalist with the Associated Press who has covered the hospital extensively for a variety of publications, including a recent story for the AP about doctors fighting childhood hunger.
The attack also killed four journalists working for Al Jazeera, Reuters and the British publication Middle East Eye, most of whom were freelancers.
Israeli army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said an internal investigation had begun, insisting the military was not targeting civilians.
He accused Hamas of using the population as “human shields” but stopped short of claiming that militants were present at the time of the hospital strikes.
In an official statement, Netanyahu expressed “deep regret over the tragic events at Nasser Hospital.”
According to Israeli media, the military fired two artillery shells, targeting a suspected Hamas surveillance camera on the roof of the building.
The UN Secretary General, Britain, France and other countries condemned the incident. US President Donald Trump, answering questions, initially said he was unaware of what had happened, then said: “I am not happy about it. It is unacceptable.”
Israel has repeatedly attacked medical facilities during the conflict, claiming the presence of Hamas militants on their territory but rarely providing evidence.
The group's security personnel have previously been spotted in similar buildings, where access to the press and the public was restricted.
Working hospitals are overwhelmed with the dead, the wounded and victims of mass malnutrition – famine is reported in some areas of Gaza.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
