An Israeli strike targeting Nasser Hospital in Gaza has resulted in the death of at least 15 people, including four journalists, according to the civil defense agency in the war-torn Strip.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, stated that an Israeli explosive drone targeted the building located in the city of Khan Yunis while the wounded were being evacuated.
In a strongly worded statement, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate mourned the slain journalists, labeling the attack as ‘a massacre’.
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The syndicate reported that 244 journalists have been killed so far in the Gaza war that erupted almost two years ago, following a large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded by declaring war on the Palestinian group.
The four journalists killed in today’s strike were identified as follows:
1. Hussam al-Masri
Hussam al-Masri was a photographer for Palestine TV and also worked as a contractor with Reuters.
“We are devastated to learn of the death of Reuters contractor Hussam al-Masri and injuries to another of our contractors, Hatem Khaled, in Israeli strikes on the Nasser hospital in Gaza today,” a Reuters spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are urgently seeking more information and have asked authorities in Gaza and Israel to help us get urgent medical assistance for Hatem,” the spokesperson added.
This is not the first time a journalist who worked with Reuters has been killed in the war. The renowned news agency stated that an Israeli tank crew killed Issam Abdallah, 37 years old, a Reuters journalist, and wounded six reporters in Lebanon on October 13, 2023, by firing two shells in quick succession from Israel while the journalists were filming cross-border shelling.
2. Mohammad Salama
Mohammed Salama was a photographer who worked for Al Jazeera TV.
A spokesperson for the Qatar-based TV network confirmed that he was killed in the attack on the medical complex.
Earlier this month, another Israeli attack near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital claimed the lives of seven journalists, including five correspondents from Al Jazeera.
Most notably among those were Anas Al Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh — reporters whose relentless front-line coverage had been a vital thread in weaving the stories of the Gaza war into the global conversation.
Mariam Abo Dagga
Mariam Abo Dagga was a 33-year-old Palestinian journalist who covered the war for several outlets, including Independent Arabia and the Associated Press.
The AP expressed shock and sadness upon learning of Mariam’s death, along with other journalists, noting that she was a freelancer for the news agency but was not on an assignment with them when she was killed.
“Dagga, who has a 12-year-old son who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war, frequently based herself at Nasser, most recently reporting on the hospital’s doctors struggling to save children from starvation. Independent Arabia, the Arabic language version of the British Independent, said Daqqa had also worked with them,” it added.
Moaz Abu Taha
Moaz Abu Taha was a journalist working for NBC TV Network.
Besides the four slain journalists, the attack also injured several other journalists, including photojournalist Hatem Omar (working for Reuters and several other media outlets) and photojournalist Jamal Badah who works with Palestine Today TV channel.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)
