Four Journalists Among 15 Dead in Gaza Strike
Deadly double-tap strike kills journalists, rescue crews.
An Israeli airstrike devastated Nasser Hospital, southern Gaza’s largest medical facility, on Monday, killing at least 15 people, including four journalists, according to hospital records. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the attack on the hospital’s fourth floor was a “double-tap” strike, with a second missile hitting moments after the first, targeting rescue crews and first responders who arrived to assist the wounded.
Among the victims was 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a freelance visual journalist for The Associated Press, who had been documenting the dire conditions at Nasser Hospital, including doctors’ struggles to save starving children. Al Jazeera and Reuters also confirmed the deaths of their journalists and freelancers, bringing the total number of media workers killed in the 22-month Israel-Hamas war to 192, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists.
The Israeli military and Prime Minister’s office have not responded to inquiries about the strike. Israel has repeatedly targeted hospitals in Gaza, claiming without evidence that Hamas militants operate from within these facilities. Previous strikes on Nasser Hospital in June and March killed five people combined, with Israel alleging the presence of Hamas command centers.
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Elsewhere, hospital officials reported additional casualties from Israeli strikes and gunfire. In northern Gaza, Shifa Hospital confirmed three deaths, including a child, in a Gaza City neighborhood strike, as Israel prepares for a broader ground offensive. Al-Awda Hospital reported six aid-seekers killed and 15 wounded by Israeli gunfire near a central Gaza aid distribution point, with no immediate comment from Israel’s military.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has endured relentless raids and bombardments throughout the war, grappling with critical shortages of medical supplies and staff. The Gaza Health Ministry stated on Sunday that the war has claimed at least 62,686 Palestinian lives, with roughly half being women and children. The United Nations and independent experts consider these figures reliable, though Israel disputes them without providing alternative data.
The repeated targeting of medical facilities and journalists has intensified global calls for accountability, as Gaza’s healthcare system teeters on the brink of collapse amid ongoing violence and a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Israel’s blockade on aid supplies.
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