Israeli strikes kill 22, together with 5 journalists, in Gaza hospital : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F15%2Fa1df392f49baace191423569c263%2Fgettyimages-2231301100.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F15%2Fa1df392f49baace191423569c263%2Fgettyimages-2231301100.jpg" class="img" alt="Palestinians mourn the death of journalists who were killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Gaza's civil defense agency said five journalists were among at least 20 other people killed in the attack." fetchpriority="high"/> Palestinians mourn the demise of journalists who had been killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Gaza's civil protection company stated 5 journalists amongst at the least 20 different individuals killed within the strike. Abed Rahim Khatib/image alliance by way of Getty Photographs disguise caption

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Abed Rahim Khatib/image alliance by way of Getty Photographs Editor's notice: This story comprises a graphic picture.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces killed 22 individuals, together with 5 journalists, in two consecutive strikes on Gaza's largest functioning hospital, drawing world condemnation and prompting a uncommon admission of remorse by the Israeli authorities.

The demise toll from the strikes was confirmed by Nasser Hospital's morgue to NPR.

The journalists labored for a number of worldwide shops, together with The Related Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera's Arabic information channel. They had been killed by strikes on the fourth flooring open stairwell of the Nasser Hospital constructing Monday morning, the place they had been standing together with first responders and medical employees.

The primary strike came about round 10 a.m. when Hussam al-Masri, a cameraman for the Reuters information company, was working a reside feed with a fowl's-eye view of close by Israeli navy positions, together with tanks, within the devastated metropolis of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

A second missile, fired from a tank, slammed into the identical spot simply minutes later, as rescue staff raced to Masri, with different journalists photographing and filming the aftermath of that preliminary strike, in response to witnesses and pictures. On the website, one other digicam feed for Al-Ghad information channel zoomed in, capturing the second of the second assault in actual time.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4032x2688+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2F7d%2F679b889748a7848a42942e01e2ff%2Fgettyimages-2231296663.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4032x2688+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2F7d%2F679b889748a7848a42942e01e2ff%2Fgettyimages-2231296663.jpg" class="img" alt="A journalist holds the blood-covered camera belonging to Palestinian photojournalist Mariam Dagga, who freelanced for The Associated Press and was killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Monday." loading="lazy"/> A journalist holds the blood-covered digicam belonging to Palestinian photojournalist Mariam Dagga, who freelanced for The Related Press and was killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, within the southern Gaza Strip, Monday. AFP/Getty Photographs disguise caption

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AFP/Getty Photographs "Oh God, the rescuers are gone. They killed the individuals! They killed them," the reporter yells in disbelief on reside tv.

Different individuals killed within the assaults at Nasser Medical Advanced in Khan Younis embody medical employees, a medical resident and a primary responder, in response to morgue data.

It marked one of many deadliest days for the press within the Palestinian territory, the place Israeli assaults have killed 245 media staff up to now 22 months of the battle, in response to lists revealed by Palestinian journalists.

By early afternoon, fellow journalists and dozens of different individuals had gathered to mourn their lifeless colleagues, who had been ready for burial with their physique armor marked "PRESS" positioned on high of their corpses that had been wrapped in white sheets.

"It is a prison enemy that wishes to silence us," Reuters photojournalist, Hatem Omar, stated. He was amongst a number of journalists wounded within the assault.

Amongst these killed was Mariam Dagga, a contributor with The Related Press.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6a%2Fcb%2Fda09eb3240be8495a5e10e115c0a%2Fap25237361061936.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6a%2Fcb%2Fda09eb3240be8495a5e10e115c0a%2Fap25237361061936.jpg" class="img" alt="Freelance journalist Mariam Dagga, 33, who had been working with The Associated Press and other outlets during the war in Gaza, poses for a portrait in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on June 14, 2024. She was among the journalists killed Monday in Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis." loading="lazy"/> Freelance journalist Mariam Dagga, 33, who had been working with The Related Press and different shops through the battle in Gaza, poses for a portrait in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on June 14, 2024. She was among the many journalists killed Monday in Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Jehad Alshrafi/AP disguise caption

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Jehad Alshrafi/AP Her most just lately filed AP pictures confirmed emaciated, severely malnourished Palestinian youngsters in Gaza, and a narrative along with her byline revealed earlier this month highlighted the demise of a 2-year-old baby, Ro'a Mashi, who docs stated had "wasted away over months as her household struggled to search out meals and remedy."

Within the closing video of herself shared on Instagram, and posted simply earlier than her demise, the 33-year-old stands in entrance of a mirror taking deep breaths to the backdrop of a music about ascending to heaven. She appears to be like gaunt and pale — a glimpse of the hunger and exhaustion journalists and different Palestinians face in Gaza.

The AP says Dagga evacuated her 13-year-old son out of Gaza early within the battle, and hadn't seen him since. The information company stated it was "shocked and saddened to study" of her demise. Reuters stated in an announcement it was "devastated" to find out about al-Masri's demise, in addition to that of one other journalist, Moaz Abu Taha, who had sometimes labored for the information wire. It stated it was "urgently searching for extra info" in addition to medical help for Hatem Khaled, one other Reuters contractor wounded in the identical assault.

Al Jazeera stated cameraman Mohammad Salama was the tenth of its journalists to be killed by Israel in Gaza on this battle, calling the assault an "atrocity." It stated it "condemns, within the strongest potential phrases, this horrific crime." The outlet stated the blood had not but dried on an assault simply two weeks in the past that killed six journalists, 5 of them with Al Jazeera, together with Gaza's most distinguished and well-known reporter, Anas al-Sharif in a focused Israeli airstrike.

In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the navy's high brass, Reuters and AP expressed their "outrage" and demanded a swift and clear investigation.

"We're outraged that impartial journalists had been among the many victims of this strike on the hospital, a location that's protected beneath worldwide legislation," the letter stated.

However they raised doubts about how Israel investigates navy actions. "We have now discovered the [Israeli military's] willingness and talent to research itself in previous incidents to not often end in readability and motion, elevating severe questions together with whether or not Israel is intentionally focusing on reside feeds in an effort to suppress info," the letter stated.

The Committee to Defend Journalists condemned the assault. "Israel's broadcasted killing of journalists in Gaza continues whereas the world watches and fails to behave firmly on probably the most horrific assaults the press has ever confronted in latest historical past," CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah stated.

The Overseas Press Affiliation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which represents tons of of journalists together with NPR reporters, stated the assault ought to mark a watershed second as Israel continues to dam impartial entry to Gaza to international journalists and kills journalists in Gaza with out justification.

"We name on Israel as soon as and for all to halt its abhorrent observe of focusing on journalists," stated an announcement from the affiliation.

Inside hours of the incident, the Israeli navy had acknowledged the assault, however by late Monday had not but recognized any particular goal. "The IDF doesn't deliberately goal civilians," Israeli navy spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated in a video assertion on social media, utilizing the initials for the Israeli navy. "We remorse any hurt to uninvolved people."

The workplace of Israel's prime minister issued an announcement saying Israel "deeply regrets the tragic mishap" on the hospital, including that it "values the work of journalists, medical employees, and all civilians." The assertion provided no additional particulars on what accountability there could be for the killing of twenty-two individuals within the assault.