DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — On Monday, Israeli airstrikes targeting Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis resulted in the deaths of five journalists, as confirmed by health officials. Among the deceased was Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who had recently reported on children suffering from starvation at the same hospital.
The Associated Press (AP) expressed its shock and sorrow over Dagga's death, highlighting her crucial role in delivering eyewitness accounts during the ongoing conflict. AP emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of its journalists in Gaza, noting the particularly dangerous conditions under which they operate.
Reports from medical officials indicate that the two strikes hit the hospital in rapid succession, with video footage showing journalists and rescue workers rushing to assist following the initial blast. Tragically, the second strike targeted an area where journalists typically gathered, resulting in a total of 20 fatalities, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s records department.
In response to the tragedy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office referred to the incident as a “tragic mishap” and stated that an investigation was underway. The military expressed regret over the loss of innocent lives, asserting that journalists are not specifically targeted in their operations. However, Israeli media reported that the military aimed at what they claimed was a Hamas surveillance camera located on the hospital roof.
Before the first strike, a live video feed from the hospital, reportedly produced by a Reuters journalist, was abruptly cut off, with subsequent reports indicating that the journalist was killed in the attack. AP and Reuters later issued a joint letter demanding accountability from Israeli authorities, condemning the targeting of independent journalists and affirming that the hospital is a protected location under international law.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has significantly impacted media workers, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documenting that 189 Palestinian journalists have been killed during the 22-month conflict. In stark contrast, only 18 journalists have been reported killed in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The dangerous environment for journalists in Gaza has led many to share the same struggles for food and safety as the community they cover; Dagga, for instance, had previously been displaced multiple times and had sent her son to safety outside of Gaza.
The latest strike has escalated fears for the safety of journalists in the region. Thibaut Bruttin, director general of Reporters Without Borders, stated that the current situation represents a severe deterioration in the safety of reporters, who are often subjected to killings in both indiscriminate and targeted attacks. He accused Israel of actively attempting to silence independent voices reporting from Gaza.
In connection with the attack on Nasser Hospital, the deadliest day for journalists in the ongoing conflict was marked two weeks prior when six journalists lost their lives, including an Al Jazeera correspondent. The channel noted that with the recent strikers, ten journalists associated with them had been killed in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders has since called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to address Israel's apparent disregard for protecting independent journalists during times of conflict.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights has issued a spokesperson's statement asserting the obligation to protect journalists in Gaza, especially when international colleagues are barred from entry. The statement emphasized that the killing of journalists should provoke global outrage and lead to demands for accountability.
The Israeli security council is expected to convene to discuss military operations in Gaza as well as ceasefire negotiations. Currently, Israel restricts international media access to the war, resulting in a reliance on Palestinian journalists and local residents for coverage of the situation. The Foreign Press Association has appealed for international intervention, arguing that numerous journalists have been unjustly killed in Gaza without adequate justification.
