At least 20 people, among them five journalists working with Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Al Jazeera, and other outlets, were killed on Monday when Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Palestinian health officials said.
Reuters confirmed that its cameraman, Hussam al-Masri, a contractor, was killed near a live broadcast position on an upper floor just below the hospital’s roof. A second strike shortly after the first hit rescue workers, medics, and additional journalists who had rushed to assist, further increasing the toll.
Those killed include Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelancer for AP and other outlets; Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera; freelance contributor Moaz Abu Taha, who also worked with Reuters; and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was wounded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the incident as a “tragic mishap,” reiterating that Israel’s war was directed at Hamas, not medical staff or journalists. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed striking the hospital and said an inquiry had been ordered by the Chief of the General Staff. “We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals and do not target journalists as such,” the IDF said.
Reuters said it was “devastated” by the deaths of Masri and Abu Taha and urged urgent medical support for Khaled. The Associated Press said it was “shocked and saddened” by Abu Dagga’s death, noting she had frequently reported from the hospital, including on cases of malnourished children.
U.S. President Donald Trump, reacting to the news, said: “I didn’t know that. Well, I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare.”
In the West Bank, the Palestinian presidency called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to protect journalists and hold Israel accountable. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the strike as “an open war against free media” and said over 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported 197 journalists and media workers killed since the war began, including 189 Palestinians, and urged the international community to hold Israel responsible for what it called unlawful attacks on the press.
Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said reporting from Gaza carries “immense risk” in a conflict where Hamas “cynically hides behind the civilian population,” adding that findings from the hospital strike would be made public.
Separately, doctors at Nasser Hospital said Israeli gunfire at a nearby tent camp in the Mawasi area killed journalist Hassan Dohan and wounded others. Two weeks earlier, Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and four other journalists were killed in Israeli strikes.
Reuters noted its live video feed from Nasser Hospital, operated by Masri, cut off during the first strike. Israel has barred foreign media from entering Gaza since 2023, leaving Palestinian journalists—many with longstanding links to international outlets—to provide coverage. The IDF is also investigating the October 2023 death of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, killed by Israeli tank fire in southern Lebanon.
