AP reporting questions why and the way Israel attacked a Gaza hospital

[ad_1] TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Related Press reporting into an Israeli assault on a Gaza Strip hospital that killed 22 folks, together with 5 journalists, raises critical questions on Israel’s rationale for the strikes and the best way they have been carried out. Amongst these killed was Mariam Dagga, who labored for AP and different information organizations.

Israeli forces struck a place effectively often called a journalists’ gathering point , as a result of — a army official mentioned — they believed a digicam on the roof was being utilized by Hamas to look at troops. The official cited “suspicious habits” and unspecified intelligence, however the one element given was that there was a towel on the digicam and the particular person with it — which the military interpreted as an effort to keep away from identification.

AP has gathered new evidence indicating the digicam in query really belonged to a Reuters video journalist who routinely lined his gear with a white fabric to guard it from the scorching solar and dirt. The journalist, Hussam al-Masri, was killed within the preliminary strike.

The proof calls into query why Israeli forces went by way of with the strike. Witnesses say Israel incessantly noticed the place by drone, together with about 40 minutes earlier than the assault, giving a possibility to accurately determine al-Masri.

AP’s findings additionally reveal different troubling choices from the Aug. 25 assault:

— Quickly after the primary strike, Israeli forces hit the identical place once more, after medical and emergency employees had reached the scene to deal with the injured, and as journalists together with Dagga had rushed to cowl the information. The strike has raised accusations of a “double faucet” — a kind of assault supposed to kill these responding to casualties and which specialists in worldwide legislation say is a potential warfare crime.

— Troops used high-explosive tank shells to strike a hospital, as a substitute of extra exact guided weapons that may have resulted in fewer casualties.

— In all, Israel struck the hospital 4 occasions, the AP discovered, every time with out warning.

The Israeli army refused to remark when requested if it hit the improper particular person and has introduced no proof for his or her claims. It says it's nonetheless investigating however of their preliminary inquiry described “gaps” in how the assault was carried out. Israel has mentioned not one of the journalists killed have been supposed targets, nor have been they linked to Hamas.

Israeli fireplace has killed 189 Palestinian reporters in Gaza, in response to the Committee to Shield Journalists. Israel has barred overseas journalists from coming into Gaza for the reason that warfare erupted in October 2023, giving Palestinian journalists a important function in overlaying the battle.

The AP’s evaluation relies on info from present and former Israeli army officers, different officers and weapons analysts — and accounts from practically 20 individuals who have been in or close to the hospital on the time of the strikes.

The assault has galvanized world anger as Israeli forces push forward with a major offensive in famine-stricken Gaza City , exposing its inhabitants to even higher hazard from Israeli bombardment and army operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu known as it a “tragic mishap″ however stopped in need of apologizing.

Protecting a digicam with a fabric Earlier than the assault, the Reuters journalist, al-Masri, was positioned along with his video digicam excessive up on an exterior stairwell of Nasser Hospital. {A photograph} taken by Dagga in mid-August exhibits al-Masri on the identical stairwell subsequent to his digicam, with a white fabric draped over it.

This photograph taken on Aug. 13, 2025, exhibits Reuters videographer Hussam Al-Masri, in a white shirt, standing subsequent to his video digicam lined with a towel on the skin stairs of Nasser Hospital. (AP Picture/Mariam Dagga)

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Within the weeks earlier than the strikes, al-Masri had broadcast dwell nearly each day from the stairwell, in response to different journalists who labored there and hospital officers. 5 journalists informed the AP that he typically used the material. It is not uncommon observe for video journalists all over the world, together with in Gaza, to make use of such excessive positions and to cowl their cameras to guard them from the weather.

Nasser Hospital, one of many few functioning hospitals in Gaza, has been a significant location for Palestinian reporters.

It's a central level for reporting on lifeless and wounded from Israeli strikes, shootings of Palestinians looking for assist and on malnourished folks introduced in each day. The Wi-Fi sign supplied a uncommon dependable hyperlink to transmit information.

Photographers and videographers used the constructing’s exterior staircase for months to get a hen’s-eye view of the town of Khan Younis — and within the case of world information companies like Reuters and AP, to produce dwell video footage to newsrooms all over the world. The AP had repeatedly knowledgeable the military that its journalists have been stationed there.

An Israeli army official mentioned that a number of days earlier than the assault, Israeli forces noticed a digicam on the roof and have been monitoring “suspicious habits,” which he didn't specify.

The official mentioned the army believed Hamas was utilizing the digicam to watch its forces and mentioned the digicam and the person working it had what they described as a towel draped over them, suggesting an effort at concealment. The official spoke on situation of anonymity in keeping with rules.

This body seize taken from a video launched by Reuters exhibits a person holding a journalist’s digicam gear at Nasser Hospital shortly after the primary of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Reuters through AP)

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A second particular person was killed within the strike that hit al-Masri. Hospital officers have recognized all 22 lifeless, saying they have been a mixture of well being and rescue employees, journalists, and kin of sufferers. However they mentioned they might not be sure which ones was the opposite particular person killed within the first strike, since all of the our bodies have been collected on the identical time.

There was no proof of a second digicam on the web site the place al-Masri was killed.

At about the identical time as the primary stairway was hit, Israel struck one other a part of the hospital, in response to witnesses and video footage displaying smoke rising from the situation.

Israel has struck hospitals and journalists on repeated events all through the warfare. Each are alleged to be protected below worldwide legislation, however hospitals can lose these protections if they're used for army functions and journalists can, too, if they're armed or participate in hostilities.

Israel has accused Hamas of working in or round hospitals however has offered restricted proof. In the course of the warfare, Hamas safety males have typically been seen inside hospitals, blocking entry to some areas of the amenities.

Primarily based on evaluation of the footage on the time of the assault, and talking to a number of eyewitnesses, there isn't a proof that anybody killed within the strikes was armed.

This body seize taken from a video launched by Al Ghad TV exhibits AP freelancer Mariam Dagga, backside left, and different journalists, rescue employees, hospital workers, and others as they arrive to doc the scene and assist the wounded at Nasser Hospital shortly after the primary of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Al Ghad TV through AP)

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This body seize taken from a video launched by Al Ghad TV exhibits the second of two rounds of Israeli strikes hitting the skin stairs of Nasser Hospital, minutes after the primary, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Al Ghad TV through AP)

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This body seize taken from a video launched by Al Ghad TV exhibits a severely wounded particular person after the second of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit the skin stairs of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Al Ghad TV through AP)

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This body seize taken from a video launched by Al Ghad TV exhibits folks fleeing after the second of two rounds of Israeli strikes hit the skin stairs of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Al Ghad TV through AP)

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Double-tap strikes The Israeli army has given no reason it carried out a second spherical of strikes.

After the primary assault, a crowd of medics, journalists and others made their manner up the staircase. Ibrahim Qannan, a correspondent with Cairo-based Al-Ghad TV who was filming from under, mentioned one other journalist, Moaz Abu Taha, waved to to him and shouted right down to him, “Hussam was martyred.”

Inside 10 minutes, two extra loud blasts struck the staircase. Video evaluation revealed the flashes of two projectiles and the booms of two explosions. Amongst these killed was Dagga, who had simply snapped her final images earlier than heading up the steps, and Abu Taha.

Individuals stroll up stairs to the location of an Israeli strike at Nasser Hospital, minutes earlier than a second spherical of strikes hit the identical spot in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. This was one of many final images taken by journalist Mariam Dagga, who freelanced for The Related Press and different retailers, earlier than she walked to the location and was killed. (AP Picture/Mariam Dagga)

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On this household handout photograph an individual exhibits the blood-stained digicam that freelance journalist Mariam Dagga, 33, was carrying when she was killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Household Handout through AP, File)

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Dagga’s brother Sediq had spent the earlier evening together with her and noticed her filming from the steps moments earlier than she was killed. “I rushed upstairs and recovered her physique,” he mentioned.

Double-tap strikes, which hit crowds that transfer into areas to rescue victims from preliminary strikes, have notoriously been utilized by al-Qaida and different extremist teams, in addition to Russia’s army and forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar Assad. First responders and different civilians are sometimes harmed in such assaults.

Consultants in worldwide legislation say a number of points of this assault may level to potential warfare crimes, together with focusing on a hospital with out warning, and the double-tap technique that places civilians at risk.

Israel Ziv, a retired basic who as soon as led the Israeli military’s operations directorate, mentioned a double-tap strike would violate the military’s guidelines of engagement.

Raed al-Nims, head of the Palestinian Pink Crescent’s media division in Gaza, mentioned double faucet strikes have “occurred a number of occasions” within the warfare, hitting the group’s ambulances and personnel after the arrive on the scene of assaults.

Israel declined to remark, citing the continuing investigation.

Fragments of one of many projectiles from Israeli strikes that hit the skin stairs of Nasser Hospital are displayed on the web site in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (UGC through AP)

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Tank fireplace was not alleged to have been used AP analyzed movies of the assault and located that Israel fired tank shells within the strikes — which the Israeli army confirmed following their preliminary inquiry.

Ziv mentioned much less lethal and extra exact choices than tank fireplace have been accessible.

“There isn't any good rationalization for that,” he mentioned.

An official with data of the assault mentioned the tank wasn’t alleged to have been used, however was unable to say what the unique plans have been. The official spoke to AP on situation of anonymity to debate the continuing investigation.

A munitions knowledgeable who analyzed images of shrapnel from the hospital obtained by AP mentioned it got here from high-explosive shells fired by a tank.

The remnants present elements of no less than three fin-stabilized tank gun projectiles, according to these utilized by Israel, mentioned N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Analysis Companies, an Australian consulting agency.

Satellite tv for pc imagery from the afternoon of the day of the strike exhibits Israeli tanks and armored automobiles working about 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) northeast of the hospital.

The identical brigade that carried out these strikes, the Golani Brigade, was concerned within the March taking pictures of an ambulance convoy in southern Gaza that killed 15 Palestinian medics. An preliminary investigation of that assault by Israeli forces discovered a sequence of “skilled failures” and a deputy commander was fired.

This satellite tv for pc photograph from Planet Labs PBC exhibits Israeli tanks and armored automobiles working northeast of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Aug. 25, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC through AP)

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Discrepancies over Israeli claims of militants A day after the strikes, Israel gave the names of six males who it mentioned have been militants killed within the assault. However this assertion additionally raised troubling discrepancies.

It offered no proof, and one man on its record, Omar Kamel Shahada Abu Teim, doesn't seem on the hospital’s record of casualties obtained by the AP. Medical doctors and morgue employees mentioned nobody by that title was killed, and in contrast to with the opposite 5, Israel didn't present an image.

One other particular person named, Jumaa al-Najjar, was a well being care employee employed by Nasser Hospital, in response to the morgue record. One other, Imad al-Shaer, was a driver for Gaza’s Civil Protection first responders.

The opposite three names seem on the casualty record, however no different particulars about them have been instantly accessible.

Israel additionally didn't say if any of the six have been killed in its preliminary strike on the digicam. Most have been killed within the second spherical of strikes, and officers haven't mentioned whether or not they have been recognized among the many crowd on the stairwell earlier than troops struck it.

The Well being Ministry and the Civil Protection are a part of the Hamas-run authorities. Israel has previously claimed that some emergency responders have been militants. That was the case within the March assault that killed 15 medics.

A joint letter from the AP and Reuters expressed outrage on the strikes and demanded solutions.

“Sadly, now we have discovered the (Israeli army’s) willingness and talent to research itself in previous incidents to not often end in readability and motion, elevating critical questions together with whether or not Israel is intentionally focusing on dwell feeds with the intention to suppress info,” they mentioned.

Previously, Israel has acknowledged focusing on and killing journalists it accuses of being militants, allegations denied by them and their employers. The army says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas as a result of it operates in densely populated areas.

Jody Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Shield Journalists, mentioned journalists are civilians and must not ever be focused in a warfare. “To take action is a warfare crime,” she mentioned.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Related Press reporters Melanie Lidman and Angela Charlton in Jerusalem, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, contributed.

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