Netanyahu calls massacre at Gaza hospital that killed journalists and civilians an "accident."
Israeli bombing of Nasser Medical Complex leaves at least 20 dead, including five journalists; world leaders demand investigation and ceasefire.
247 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday (25) that the country “deeply regrets” what he described as a “tragic accident” at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli bombing left at least 20 dead, including five journalists covering the conflict, as well as patients and rescue teams.
"Our conflict is against the Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are to defeat Hamas and bring our hostages home," Netanyahu said in a statement, according to Reuters.
According to the Gaza Media Office and Al Jazeera, among the dead are the station's photographer, Mohammad Salama; Reuters photojournalist, Hussam al-Masri; and reporter Mariam Abu Daqqa, a contributor to... Associated Press and Independent ArabicIn addition to journalist Moaz Abu Taha, Reuters confirmed that their live broadcast from the hospital was interrupted at the exact moment of the explosion.
News organizations accused Israel of carrying out such an attack. "double tap" — when an initial shot hits the target and then another missile strikes rescue teams and journalists rushing to the scene.
Global repercussions and allegations of war crimes.
The international reaction was immediate. French President Emmanuel Macron called the bombing "intolerable," while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was "horrified" and reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire. The German government stated it was "shocked" and demanded an independent investigation.
The UN stressed that hospitals and journalists should never be targets in wars. The spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, stated that “the murder of journalists in Gaza should shock the world not in silence, but in action.”
US President Donald Trump stated that he had not yet been briefed on the details of the attack, but reacted with displeasure: “I’m not happy about this. I don’t want to see this kind of thing happen.”
Escalation against the press
Al Jazeera accused Israel of trying to "bury the truth" by targeting media professionals, while emphasizing that it will continue broadcasting its coverage. Amnesty International has described Gaza as the deadliest conflict in recent history for journalists—at least 274 have been killed since October 2023.
The attack on Nasser Hospital occurred less than two weeks after the murder of another Al Jazeera reporter, Anas al-Sharif, and four colleagues in front of al-Shifa Hospital.
More than 62 Palestinians have died since the start of the Israeli offensive in 2023, most of them women and children. Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are the subject of arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accused of war crimes and genocide.
