Palestinian journalist, Hassan Eslaih, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, while receiving treatment for severe burns sustained in an earlier Israeli attack. The strike, which Israel confirmed as a “targeted attack,” also claimed the life of another individual.
Eslaih had been injured in an April 7th Israeli strike on a media tent near the hospital. Despite being treated in the hospital’s burn unit, he succumbed to injuries following the latest assault. The Israeli military alleged that Eslaih was a Hamas operative involved in the October 7th attack on Israel, claims Eslaih had previously denied.
Israel stated the strike aimed at a Hamas “command and control complex” within the hospital, though no evidence was provided. The Nasser Medical Complex is the largest hospital in southern Gaza.
The Gaza Government Media Office condemned the attack, confirming Eslaih’s death and accusing Israel of systematically targeting healthcare facilities. The Health Ministry described the ongoing assaults on hospitals and wounded patients as deliberate, further damaging Gaza’s overwhelmed health system.
Since the conflict escalated in October 2023, Israeli forces have bombed at least 36 hospitals in Gaza, according to local officials. Attacks on medical facilities, staff, and patients violate the 1949 Geneva Convention.
Journalists have also faced disproportionate risks during the conflict. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 178 media workers have been killed across Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon, while Gaza’s authorities place the toll at 215.
Written By Rodney Mbua
