By Michelle Ndaga
At least 15 people were killed on Monday when an Israeli airstrike struck Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Palestinian health officials said.
Among the dead were three journalists, including Hussam al-Masri, a cameraman working as a contractor for Reuters. Another Reuters contractor, photographer Hatem Khaled, was wounded in the attack.
Witnesses reported that the strike hit the hospital’s fourth floor, followed shortly by a second blast that struck as first responders and staff rushed to the scene. The attack left extensive damage inside the facility, which has been one of the main hospitals treating casualties from Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Palestinian officials described the attack as a “double-tap strike,” saying it significantly increased the number of victims by hitting rescuers and hospital staff in addition to patients.
The deaths of al-Masri and two other reporters brought renewed attention to the dangers facing journalists covering the conflict. Media organizations and press freedom advocates have repeatedly called for stronger protections for reporters in war zones.
The strike at Nasser Hospital is the latest in a series of incidents in which Gaza’s medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict. Health authorities in the territory have warned that hospitals are on the verge of collapse due to shortages of supplies, overcrowding, and repeated airstrikes.
