AP and Reuters demand answers as Israel calls the incident a ’tragic mishap’ and orders an investigation.
Israeli airstrikes have hit one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip on Aug. 25, killing several journalists.
Reuters said cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters contractor, and Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist with the Associated Press (AP), were among at least 20 killed in the strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
In a joint letter, they said that “several” journalists were killed in the airstrikes.
The attack came as Israel prepares to expand its military offensive in the enclave, having earlier this month approved plans to take control of Gaza City despite international criticism.
Jerusalem has said its objectives are to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas and to defeat the terrorist group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the strike a “tragic mishap” that Israel “deeply regrets.”
“Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians. The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed the military was aware of reports that civilians, including journalists, were harmed.
In a statement on Monday, Defrin said that the IDF doesn’t intentionally target civilians.
“The IDF makes every effort to mitigate harm to civilians, while ensuring the safety of our troops. Any incident that raises concern in this regard is addressed by the relevant mechanisms in the IDF,” he said.
“We are operating in an extremely complex reality. Hamas terrorists deliberately use civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields. They have even operated from the Nasser hospital itself.”
According to the IDF, Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir has directed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the strike.
“Reporting from an active warzone carries immense risk, especially in a war with a terrorist organization such as Hamas, who cynically hides behind the civilian population. As always, we will present our findings as transparently as possible,” Defrin added.
AP and Reuters, in a joint letter to Israeli authorities on Monday, called for an explanation over the airstrikes that struck Nasser Hospital.
The letter emphasized Israel’s obligations under international law to protect journalists and civilians and to take precautions to avoid harm.
“We hope this probe will be quick, thorough, and provide clear answers. These deaths demand urgent and transparent accountability,” the letter said.
The two news organizations said they were taking all possible measures to protect their reporters in Gaza. They urged Israeli authorities to allow independent journalists safe and unhindered access to and from Gaza, and to guarantee press freedom and protection.
President Donald Trump, when asked about the Nasser Hospital strike, said he was “not happy about it.”
“I didn’t know that. Well, I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare,” he told reporters on Monday.
The U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside the UK and France, has condemned the attack, calling for an investigation.
A statement by U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric on Monday said medical personnel and journalists must be able to perform their essential duties without interference, intimidation, or harm, in line with international humanitarian law.
Guterres called for a cease-fire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza, and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
The UK and France, both expected to recognize a Palestinian state in September—a move criticized by Israel—have also pressed for a cease-fire.
“Permanent cease-fire, release of all hostages, massive delivery of humanitarian aid, and a lasting political solution including the disarmament of Hamas and a stabilization mission: we are working closely with Qatar so that the mediators’ efforts succeed and in view of the conference on the two-state solution to be held in New York on Sept. 22,” French President Emmanuel Macros said on X.
A draft cease-fire deal proposed by Arab mediators last week would last 60 days and include prisoner-hostage exchanges, repositioning of Israeli forces, and expanded humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu has said Israel would resume negotiations over the hostages, but only on terms acceptable to Israel, which include Hamas’s defeat.
The war in Gaza has raged since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 62,000 people have been killed since the start of the war. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in these casualty figures, and The Epoch Times cannot verify the accuracy of that figure.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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