At least 15 people, including three journalists, were killed on Sunday after Israeli airstrikes hit the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
The fatalities included Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and Al Jazeera photographer Mohammed Salama, their networks confirmed. Hatem Khaled, a photographer contracted by Reuters, was injured in the attack. A rescue worker was also among the dead.
Officials said the victims on the hospital’s fourth floor were killed in a “double-tap” strike; one missile struck first, followed by another moments later, targeting rescue crews and medics rushing to evacuate the injured.
“The bombing hit the main building, the surgical building,” said Dr. Khaled Al Serr, a surgeon at Nasser Hospital, in an interview with The Independent. “During the evacuation, we were surprised by another bombing to the same spot.”
A Reuters live video feed from the hospital, operated by al-Masri, cut out at the moment of the initial strike.
Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, has remained a lifeline for civilians throughout nearly 22 months of war, enduring repeated bombardments and raids. Officials have repeatedly warned of critical shortages of supplies, fuel, and staff, which have left the facility on the brink of collapse.
The Israeli military and Prime Minister’s Office had no immediate comment on Sunday’s strikes.
The attack came just days after Israel announced the start of its ground offensive on Gaza City, vowing to “deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City” following clashes with the militant group in Khan Younis.
According to the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate, more than 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire since the war began on October 7, 2023.
The latest incident follows global outrage earlier this month, when an Israeli airstrike killed six journalists, including renowned Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, at a tent sheltering media workers inside the Al Shifa medical complex in Gaza City.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly. On Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system (IPC) declared a manmade famine in Gaza’s largest city.
The report revealed that at least 514,000 people nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population are already facing famine conditions, with projections suggesting the number could rise to 641,000 by the end of next month.
The IPC has previously registered famines only in Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the hospital strikes, describing the worsening famine and aid restrictions as a “moral outrage”, blaming Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza.
