Two Palestinian Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike on Hospital in Southern Gaza – Gaza Media Office

Two Palestinian Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike on Hospital in Southern Gaza – Gaza Media Office

According to an Al Jazeera report, the Israeli military stated it carried out a “targeted attack” on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in which two people were killed, including Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaiah.

The Gaza Government Media Office confirmed on Tuesday that Hassan Eslaiah had been killed. He was receiving treatment in the hospital’s burn unit after being seriously injured in an Israeli strike on April 7. That strike had targeted a media tent located next to the hospital.

Video footage from AFP showed smoke rising from Nasser Hospital following Tuesday’s strike, as rescuers searched through the rubble using flashlights.

A hospital staff member, who identified himself as Abu Ghali, said, “Israeli bombardment does not distinguish between civilian and military targets.”

He added, “This is a civilian hospital, where injured people are treated around the clock.”

Hassan Eslaiah was the director of Alam24 News Agency and a freelance journalist who worked with international media outlets. He had captured images of the Hamas-led attack on October 7. Israel has claimed that Eslaiah was a Hamas fighter and participated in that attack, although Eslaiah had strongly denied the allegation.

The death toll of journalists continues to rise

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, since the start of the war, at least 178 journalists and media workers have been killed across Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon. The Gaza Government Media Office has reported the number as 215.

In a Telegram post, the Israeli military stated that it had targeted the Nasser Hospital because it served as a Hamas “command and control complex.” Although they described it as the largest hospital in southern Gaza, no evidence was provided to support this claim.

The post read, “This complex was used by terrorists to plan and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.” With this statement, Israel likely intended to imply a link between Eslaiah and Hamas.

On Tuesday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health stated in a press release: “The repeated targeting of hospitals and the killing of patients under treatment clearly indicates Israel’s deliberate destruction of the healthcare system.”

Since the war began in October 2023, hospitals in Gaza have been regularly targeted by Israeli strikes. Yet, according to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, attacks on medical facilities, staff, and patients are illegal under international law.