Israeli Airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital Kills 15, Including 4 Journalists, Officials Say

At least 15 people, including four journalists and a civil defense worker, were killed Monday after an Israeli airstrike hit the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, according to local health officials.

The Gaza Health Ministry said the hospital was struck in what appeared to be a “double-tap” attack — where one missile hit the facility, followed by a second strike moments later as rescuers rushed to the scene.

Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, confirmed the updated death toll at the site and identified the victims as including members of the press, rescue personnel, and patients. Several others were reportedly injured.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has been a critical lifeline for civilians throughout the nearly two-year conflict, operating under extreme pressure due to repeated air raids, supply shortages, and dwindling medical staff. The facility has frequently been at the center of efforts to care for the war-wounded in southern Gaza.

Images from the aftermath showed injured individuals being evacuated by local residents and emergency workers as smoke rose from the building’s upper floors.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strike or the reports of journalists among the dead. Israel has faced increasing international scrutiny over the number of media personnel killed during the ongoing war in Gaza, including in strikes that appeared to target individuals.

According to press freedom organizations, more than 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the conflict escalated in October 2023, making it one of the deadliest periods for media workers in recent history.

This latest attack underscores the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where medical facilities, aid workers, and journalists continue to come under fire amid the prolonged conflict.