Gaza, who are the five journalists killed by the IDF in Khan Younis
The war between Israel and Hamas has been one of the bloodiest conflicts for media workers, with at least 192 journalists killed in Gaza in the 22 months of conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
3' min read
3' min read
Five journalists, three of whom worked for Reuters, al Jazeera and Associated Press, killed in a double raid by the Israeli army that today targeted the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. This is the latest tragic tribute of the media to the Israeli military pressure, imposed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. The attack, as reported by the satellite TV al-Jazeera citing the Gaza Health Ministry, left at least 20 people dead: in addition to the five journalists, also doctors and hospitalised patients.
Foreign press in shock
The Associated Press said in a statement that it was 'shocked and saddened' to learn of the death of Mariam Dagga, 33, a video journalist who had been freelancing for the agency since the beginning of the war. as well as for Independent Arabia, the Arabic-language version of the British newspaper Independent. Dagga, the mother of a 13-year-old boy evacuated from Gaza at the start of the war, had often worked at Nasser's, recently reporting on the difficulties of hospital doctors in saving children from starvation. In one of the latest posts on her social profiles, published on Sunday, Dagga posted a selfie of herself.
A spokesman for Reuters said, "We are shocked to learn of the death of Reuters contributor Hussam al-Masriand of the injuries sustained by another of our contributors, Hatem Khaled, in the Israeli attacks on Gaza's Nasser Hospital today." "We are urgently seeking more information and have asked the Gaza and Israeli authorities to help us obtain urgent medical assistance for Hatem," the spokesperson added in a note. The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate reported the deaths of two other journalists:Moaz Abu Tahaand Ahmad Abu Aziz. According to Afp, Abu Taha had worked with a number of Palestinian and international media outlets. Aziz had worked as a freelancer for Middle East Eye, a media outlet based in the United Kingdom.
Al Jazeera then confirmed one of its journalists, Mohammed Salama, among the victims of the raid on the hospital. "Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms this horrific crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, who have directly targeted and murdered journalists as part of a systematic campaign to silence the truth. The ongoing campaign by the Israeli occupation against journalists has violated all international norms and laws, constituting a war crime under the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions, both of which strictly prohibit the deliberate targeting of civilians and journalists in conflict zones," the broadcaster said in a statement.
Idf announces enquiry into the incident
The Israeli army announced an investigation into the double attack launched today on the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza. Today "IDF troops carried out an attack in the area of the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. The Chief of Staff ordered a preliminary investigation to be conducted as soon as possible,' reads a statement on Telegram. The Idf regrets any harm caused to uninvolved persons and does not target journalists as such. The Idf acts to mitigate as much damage as possible to those not involved, while ensuring the safety of its troops."
