GAZA: An initial Israeli military inquiry has found that troops struck what they believed to be a Hamas camera position in Monday’s (Aug 25) attack on a Gaza hospital that killed five journalists, but a further probe was ordered into how that decision was made.
An Israeli security official said on Tuesday that none of the five journalists were among the six Hamas targets killed in the strike on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza. At least 20 people died in the attack. The journalists worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other outlets.
ISRAEL MILITARY STATEMENT
In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli military said troops had identified what it described as a Hamas-operated camera observing its forces. The military said it moved to eliminate the threat by striking and dismantling the camera.
The statement acknowledged “several gaps” that the Chief of the General Staff ordered to be examined, including the authorization process for the strike, the ammunition approved and the timing, as well as the decision-making process in the field.
It said the Israeli military directs its operations solely against military targets.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel deeply regretted what he called a “tragic mishap.”
