At least 20 people were killed on Monday when Israeli airstrikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Among the dead were five journalists working with international media outlets such as Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), and Al Jazeera.

According to Palestinian health officials, the first strike hit near a live broadcast position on the hospital’s upper floors, killing Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman. A second strike soon followed, killing more journalists, medics, and rescue workers who had rushed to help.

Those killed included Mariam Abu Dagga (freelance journalist for AP), Mohammed Salama (Al Jazeera), Moaz Abu Taha (freelance journalist contributing to Reuters), and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was also injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the incident as a “tragic mishap”, stressing that Israel’s target was Hamas, not medical workers or journalists. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed striking the hospital and announced an inquiry, adding:

“We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals and do not target journalists as such.”

Media organisations expressed shock and grief. A Reuters spokesperson said the company was devastated, while the Associated Press described Abu Dagga’s death as heartbreaking, noting her reporting on starving children in Gaza.

The attack has drawn international condemnation. The Palestinian presidency called on the UN Security Council to protect journalists and hold Israel accountable. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate described the strike as an “open war against free media.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which has documented nearly 200 journalist deaths since the war began in October 2023, urged the global community to take action, saying Israel’s “continued unlawful attacks on the press” cannot go unchecked.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reacted by saying he was “not happy” about the deaths, calling for an end to the “nightmare.”

Doctors at Nasser Hospital also reported that Israeli gunfire killed another journalist, Hassan Dohan, at a nearby tent camp in Khan Younis. This comes just weeks after Al Jazeera reporter Anas Al-Sharif and four other journalists were killed in Gaza.

Israel has barred foreign reporters from entering Gaza since 2023, meaning much of the world’s coverage has depended on Palestinian journalists, many of whom have now lost their lives in the conflict.