Gaza Hospital Strike Kills Five Journalists, Including AP Freelancer
Gaza Hospital Strike Kills Five Journalists, Including AP Freelancer
Five journalists, including a freelancer for The Associated Press, were killed yesterday in Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to health officials. The incident underscores the extreme dangers faced by media professionals covering the ongoing conflict.
Among the confirmed fatalities is Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who freelanced for the AP and other news outlets. The Associated Press expressed profound shock and sadness over her death and that of her colleagues. Medical officials reported that two missiles struck Nasser Hospital in quick succession, resulting in 20 total deaths, as confirmed by Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s records department.
Other journalists killed in the strike include Mohammed Salama (Al Jazeera), Hussam al-Masri (Reuters contractor cameraman), Moaz Abu Taha (Reuters freelancer), and Ahmad Abu Aziz (Middle East Eye freelancer). Another Reuters contractor, photographer Hatem Khaled, was wounded.
The Israel-Hamas war has been particularly deadly for media workers, with at least 192 journalists killed in Gaza during the 22-month conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. This figure far surpasses journalist casualties in other global conflicts.
The Israeli military stated it carried out a strike in the Nasser Hospital area and would investigate the incident, expressing regret for any harm to uninvolved individuals and denying targeting journalists. However, press freedom advocates, including Reporters Without Borders, criticize the severe regression in journalist safety, citing both indiscriminate and acknowledged targeted attacks.
Journalists in Gaza, largely Palestinian, continue to provide crucial eyewitness reporting under perilous conditions, often facing the same struggles for basic necessities as the populations they cover. Israel has largely barred international media access, relying on local journalists whose affiliations and biases are frequently questioned by Israeli authorities.
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