According to a report by The Times of Israel, an Israeli military official said the attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis was not carried out by the Israeli Air Force, distancing the branch from responsibility for the strike that, according to Palestinian media, killed at least 15 people, including four journalists.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details on which branch of the Israel Defense Forces may have been involved in the attack or the type of weaponry used. The IDF has not issued a formal statement on the incident, which has drawn swift condemnation from Palestinian officials and press freedom groups.
The strike targeted Nasser Hospital, one of the last partially functioning medical facilities in southern Gaza. Thousands of displaced civilians have been sheltering in and around the complex as fighting between Israel and Hamas has intensified in Khan Younis. Palestinian reports said the attack left dozens wounded in addition to the fatalities.
Among those killed were four journalists. The Associated Press confirmed that its freelance reporter, Mariam Abu Dagga, 33, died in the attack. Reuters said its contractor cameraman, Hussam al-Masri, was also killed, while Al Jazeera identified the third victim as photojournalist and cameraman Mohammad Salama. Local media reported that a fourth journalist was among the dead, though their identity has not yet been made public.
The incident has raised further questions about the safety of medical facilities and the protection of journalists in the conflict. Hospitals have repeatedly come under fire since the war began, with Israel accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes, an allegation Hamas denies.
Press freedom organizations condemned the latest strike. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for an independent investigation, stressing that more than 100 reporters and media workers have been killed since the war erupted in October 2023.
International aid agencies also voiced alarm, saying that the loss of Nasser Hospital’s capacity would further cripple Gaza’s already devastated health system, where shortages of medicine, fuel, and equipment have left doctors struggling to treat the wounded and prevent starvation-related deaths among children.
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