Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital Kills Five Journalists

Gaza, August 25, 2025: At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in the war-torn southern Gaza Strip on Monday, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency. The attack targeted Nasser Hospital, the largest healthcare facility in Khan Younis, which has been repeatedly struck since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict. News agencies Reuters, Associated Press (AP), and Qatar-based Al Jazeera expressed grief over the loss of their journalists.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency, confirmed that the strike killed 20 people, including five journalists and one civil defense member. According to international media watchdogs, nearly 200 journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip over the two-year Israel-Hamas war. In a statement, the Israeli military acknowledged conducting an airstrike in the Nasser Hospital area in Khan Younis and said its chief of staff had ordered a preliminary investigation into the incident. The military expressed regret over civilian casualties but denied deliberately targeting journalists. Bassal reported that an explosive-laden Israeli drone initially struck a building in Nasser Hospital, followed by an airstrike as efforts were underway to evacuate the wounded. Al Jazeera’s spokesperson condemned the attack, stating that their photographer and cameraperson, Mohammad Salama, was killed. “We strongly condemn this horrific crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, who deliberately targeted and killed journalists as part of a planned campaign to silence the truth,” the network said in a statement. The Associated Press reported the death of their 33-year-old visual journalist, Mariam Dagga, who had been freelancing for the organization since the war began. Reuters expressed deep sorrow over the death of their contractor, Hussam Al-Masri, while another contractor, Hatem Khaled, was injured. Reuters has called on Gaza and Israeli authorities to provide urgent medical assistance for Khaled. The Palestinian Journalists’ Union identified two other journalists killed in the attack as Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz. According to AFP’s Gaza correspondents, Abu Taha worked for several Palestinian and international media outlets.