Israeli Strike on Gaza Media Tent Kills Reporter, Wounds Six Journalists

An Israeli airstrike hit a media tent outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early Monday, killing two people, including Palestinian journalist Yousef al-Faqawi, and injuring six other reporters, according to hospital officials.

The Israeli military claimed the target was Hassan Eslaiah, a suspected Hamas militant allegedly posing as a journalist. Eslaiah, who previously contributed freelance images to international outlets including the Associated Press, was among the wounded.

Elsewhere in Gaza, separate Israeli strikes killed at least 28 others, hospitals reported, including women and children. Strikes near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah also left several wounded, while two homes were hit, killing eight people.

Thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in hospital compounds throughout the 18-month conflict, believing them to be safer. Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, allegations denied by medical staff.

The Israeli offensive, re-escalated after a broken ceasefire last month, continues amid a blockade restricting the entry of food, fuel, and medicine into Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 50,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have been killed since the war began.

Israeli leaders say military pressure will continue until Hamas releases remaining hostages, lays down arms, and exits Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in Washington to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump, supports a plan to resettle Gaza’s population abroad — a proposal widely condemned by Palestinians and human rights experts as a potential breach of international law.

Back in Israel, protests are growing, with families of hostages urging Netanyahu to secure a new truce. “Now the moment of truth has come,” said Varda Ben Baruch, grandmother of an Israeli-American hostage. “You must strike a deal.”

Israel says it has killed about 20,000 Hamas fighters, though it hasn’t provided evidence distinguishing militants from civilians. The war, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others, has displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population.