Gaza (BN24) – Israeli forces struck one of Gaza’s largest hospitals on Monday and then hit it again as journalists and emergency workers rushed to the scene, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more, according to local health officials.
The attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is among the deadliest to hit medical facilities and members of the press during the 22-month war that began after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel. The strikes came as Israel signals plans to expand its offensive into densely populated areas of the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the incident as a “tragic mishap” and said the military was conducting an investigation. Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, an Israeli army spokesman, reiterated that Israel does not deliberately target civilians and accused Hamas of using hospitals as cover, but did not specify whether militants were present at the time.
The first projectile hit the hospital’s fourth floor, which houses operating theaters and staff quarters, shortly after 10 a.m. Minutes later, as rescuers and journalists in orange vests climbed an external stairwell, a second strike struck the staircase, killing 18 more people, witnesses said.
Among the dead was Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who frequently reported from the hospital and had recently documented the struggle of doctors to save starving children. Four other journalists working with Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Middle East Eye also lost their lives.
Israeli media later reported that two artillery shells had been fired at the hospital, targeting what troops suspected was a Hamas surveillance camera mounted on the roof.
The United Nations, along with Britain, France, and other governments, condemned the attack. Asked about the strike, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was initially unaware of the incident but added, “I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it.”
A British doctor working at Nasser Hospital described “scenes of chaos, disbelief and fear,” with bloodied patients flooding overcrowded wards where IV drips already lined the corridors. “It leaves me in another state of shock that hospitals can be a target,” the doctor said, speaking anonymously to avoid reprisals.
Gaza hospitals have repeatedly been struck throughout the conflict. Israel maintains that Hamas operates in and around such facilities, though officials often provide limited evidence. Health facilities that remain functional are now overwhelmed not only by war casualties but also by the rising toll of famine and malnutrition spreading across the territory.
