The Israeli airstrike that hit the Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis on August 25 marks a devastating escalation of violence by Israel.
Once again, we are left stunned, writing about yet another massacre of media workers and medical personnel. This was a deliberate, premeditated attack, in violation of all humanitarian conventions and international law, which has so far caused the deaths of at least 20 Palestinians, including journalists, medical staff, and rescue workers, as the bombing intensifies over Gaza.
The attack, which occurred in two phases, suggests a clear military strategy. The first explosion hit the upper floor of one of Gaza’s main remaining hospitals. Minutes later, a second strike specifically targeted the rescue teams and journalists who had rushed to the scene to document the aftermath of the first bombing, as shown in videos recorded during those tragic moments. The victims include five journalists: Mohamed Salama (Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera), Hossam al-Masri (Reuters), Mariam Abu Daqa (Independent Arabia and AP), Moath Abu Taha (NBC), and Ahmed Abu Aziz, who died a few hours later from serious injuries. They are joined by other media professionals, such as Khaled al-Madhoun, a cameraman for Palestine TV, killed by Israeli forces on Saturday, August 23, while documenting the plight of people seeking humanitarian aid in the Zikim area of the northern Gaza Strip. Their deaths follow other colleagues killed on August 10, including Anas al-Sharif, whose death is still mourned today.
Mohamed Salama had recently documented the story of a 10-year-old child killed while seeking aid from an organization supported by Israel and the United States. Journalist and documentary filmmaker Mariam Abu Daqa, who leaves behind a child to whom she dedicated her last words, was committed to documenting the suffering of Gaza’s population, with a particular focus on the stories of children and women. She showed the world the reality of the daily violence and suffering endured by civilians, saying, “Every place is dangerous, hit by airstrikes… In every house there is a story. In every house there is a detainee. In every house there is suffering.”
The Foreign Press Association and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have strongly condemned the attack, demanding immediate explanations from Israel.
Following the wave of outrage over this latest massacre, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released an official statement expressing deep regret for the incident, describing the attack as a “tragic accident.” The statement, which first claimed that Israel “appreciates the work of journalists, medical personnel, and all civilians” and then stressed that the goal of the war is not to harm civilians but to defeat Hamas and bring the hostages home, concludes by stating that military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. This is a rare admission of regret by the Israeli government for an attack that caused civilian and journalist casualties, but it sounds decidedly hollow. It does not reflect the reality on the ground and seems more like a bland attempt to mitigate image damage rather than an authentic admission of guilt.
It should be remembered that, since the start of the conflict, Israel has denied international press access to Gaza, effectively preventing independent documentation of the war. This is a violation of the right to information that has made the work of the few remaining Palestinian journalists extremely dangerous. Since October 7, 2023, more than 244 journalists and 1,580 healthcare workers have been killed—staggering numbers that should make us shudder. According to Al Jazeera, which remains committed to providing live coverage, Israel’s impunity and its willingness to silence journalists to conceal its crimes, including genocide and famine in Gaza, demonstrate a clear intent to suppress the truth.
The attack did not spare the students of Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Medicine, who were struck while attending a lecture and doing clinical rounds at Nasser Hospital. Sadly, student Mohammad Al-Habibi was killed on his twenty-fifth birthday while wearing his white coat and stethoscope, universal symbols of humanity and compassion, and many of his colleagues were seriously injured. The killing of Mohammad is tragically sad, an absurd crime with no justification, one of the most brutal forms in Israel’s strategy of systematic annihilation of the Palestinian medical sector.
Now more than ever, it is time to give a strong response and take a firm stand. Urgent and effective measures are needed to protect civilians, journalists, and healthcare personnel. Attacks against civilians and journalists constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions, which strictly prohibit them.
The continued inaction in the face of events in Palestine not only risks the safety of the population but also undermines the foundations of international law. We must protect the right to inform and be informed, to treat and be treated, because every step back on these fronts is an attack on the principles that should define our humanity.
