Israeli airstrikes on a hospital in Gaza on Monday reportedly killed at least 20 people — including five journalists, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Among the dead is freelance visual journalist Mariam Dagga, who covered the war for The Associated Press and The Independent Arabic. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported that journalist Mohammed Salam was killed, while Reuters reported that contract cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed and contract photographer Hatem Khaled was wounded.
Journalists Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz were also reportedly killed, per Gaza’s Government Media Office. The attack took place at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on the Gaza Strip.
“We are doing everything we can to keep our journalists in Gaza safe as they continue to provide crucial eyewitness reporting in difficult and dangerous conditions,” The AP said in a statement, adding that they were “shocked and saddened” to learn of Dagga’s death.
“The blood of our martyred journalists in Gaza has not yet dried before the Israeli occupation forces committed another crime against Al Jazeera cameraman Mohammed Salama, together with three other photojournalists,” Al Jazeera added.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, told The AP it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such.”
“Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff and all civilians. The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team added. “Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.”
“They are doing everything they can to silence independent voices that are trying to report on Gaza,” Reporters Without Borders director general Thibaut Bruttin countered. The update comes a month after The Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters and Agence France-Presse issued a joint statement about the treatment of journalists in Gaza.
“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” they shared. “For many months, these independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”
The latest attack also comes just weeks after another five journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike outside of Gaza City. In response, 17 senators wrote an open letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding the U.S. pressure Israel over journalist deaths, and allow international journalists into the Gaza Strip.
“The United States must make it clear to Israel that banning and censoring media organizations and targeting or threatening members of the press is unacceptable and must stop,” they wrote, in part. “The absence of U.S. government support for accountability efforts serves to undermines U.S. moral leadership and credibility in the region and around the world.”
