At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, according to health officials.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence said the strike followed a “double-tap” pattern, with a second explosion hitting as rescue workers and reporters gathered at the scene of an initial blast inside the hospital building. Among the dead were journalists working with international outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye. A Reuters photographer, Hatem Khaled, was seriously wounded.
The Israeli military confirmed carrying out a strike in the area, saying it was targeting “terrorist infrastructure.” In a statement, it expressed regret over civilian deaths, adding it “does not target journalists as such” and had opened a preliminary inquiry.
The attack comes two weeks after a strike near Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital killed six journalists, including Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif. Israel continues to bar international news organisations, including the BBC, from freely entering Gaza to report on the conflict. (Newswire)
