New Delhi: At least 15 people, including four journalists, were killed on Monday following an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. The attack marks yet another deadly incident in what has become one of the most perilous conflicts for media professionals in recent history.
Among the journalists killed was Mariam Dagga, 33, a freelancer who had been reporting for the Associated Press (AP) and other news outlets since the start of the war. Dagga had covered the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the desperate efforts by doctors at Nasser Hospital to save children who were starving despite having no pre-existing health conditions.
Al Jazeera confirmed that its journalist Mohammed Salam was among those killed in the strike. Reuters reported the deaths of its contractor, Hussam al-Masri, and said another contractor, photographer Hatem Khaled, was wounded.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 192 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began 22 months ago, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers in recent memory. In contrast, 18 journalists have been killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Gaza’s Government Media Office places the toll even higher, claiming at least 244 journalists and media workers have died due to Israeli attacks since October 2023.
Both the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Israeli military declined to comment on Monday’s hospital strike.
The attack came as Israel ramps up military operations in Gaza City. Last week, the Israeli military began preparatory steps for a ground offensive aimed at seizing full control of the city. Tens of thousands of reservists have been mobilised as part of the campaign, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says is aimed at dismantling Hamas’s operational infrastructure following the group’s initial assault on Israel in October 2023.
Despite mounting international pressure to reconsider the offensive due to its humanitarian toll, the Israeli government has forged ahead. Netanyahu’s administration has faced criticism from both global allies and regional adversaries for its hardline stance and continued escalation in Gaza.
Hamas, in a statement posted on Telegram, accused Netanyahu of derailing ceasefire negotiations and described Israel’s military campaign as a “brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza City.”
The Israeli security cabinet, under Netanyahu’s leadership, has approved the expansion of operations in Gaza, with the stated aim of taking full control of Gaza City, a major strategic stronghold in the ongoing conflict.