Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital kills 19, Health Ministry says

An Israeli missile strike hit the largest hospital in Southern Gaza on Monday, killing 19 people, including four journalists, said Zaher al-Waheid, the head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department.

The victims on the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital were killed when one missile hit and was followed in the same spot by another missile moments later as rescue crews arrived, the ministry said.

Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, has withstood raids and bombardment throughout 22 months of war, with officials citing critical shortages of supplies and staff.

Among the 19 killed were four journalists including 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who had worked for The Associated Press since the start of the war.

Dagga was a freelancer who regulary reported from Nasser Hospital, including on doctors struggling to save children from starvation.

Al Jazeera confirmed that its journalist Mohammed Salam was also among those who were killed in the Nasser strike. Reuters reported that its contractor cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed and its contractor photographer Hatem Khaled wounded.

The Israel-Hamas war has been one of the bloodiest conflicts for media workers, with a total of 192 journalists killed in Gaza in the 22-month conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Neither Israel’s military nor the Prime Minister's office immediately responded to questions about the strike.

Israeli strikes and raids on hospitals are not uncommon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claims its attacks target militants operating inside the medical facilities, using them as cover for their activities.

On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes hit a camp for displaced families near Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in Central Gaza.

While no casualties were immediately reported, the strike destroyed roughly 100 tents sheltering people who had already fled fighting in other parts of the Gaza Strip.