At least twenty Palestinians, including five journalists and a firefighter, were killed and several others wounded on Monday in an Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to health authorities and eyewitnesses.
Journalist Ahmed Abu Aziz succumbed to his wounds in the Israeli strike, bringing the death toll of press members to five, medical source told Anadolu.
Official Palestine TV reported that among the deceased were its cameraman, Hussam al-Masri, while Qatari channel Al Jazeera confirmed that its photographer, Mohammad Salama, was also killed.
A medical source cited by Anadolu also confirmed the death of photojournalist Mariam Abu Daqqa.
Photojournalist Moaz Abu Taha was also killed in the Israeli strike targeting the hospital.
The Palestinian Civil Defense said in a statement that a fire engine driver was killed during the strike and that seven others from his team were injured while attempting to rescue victims and recover bodies.
According to Anadolu correspondents, the Israeli military targeted the top floor of the emergency building, known as the “Al-Yassin” floor.
Earlier, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement that eight people were killed and several others were injured in the attack.
The ministry added that the Israeli military hit the fourth floor of one of the complex’s buildings in two airstrikes, noting that the second strike occurred as rescue teams arrived to evacuate the wounded and recover the dead.
The killings follow a strike on August 10 in Gaza City in which six Al Jazeera journalists were killed. Israeli authorities later accused one of the dead of being a Hamas commander without providing any evidence.
Since Israel's war began on October 7, 2023, at least 244 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to TRT World's tally.
More than 500 journalists and media workers have been wounded, displaced, or forced into exile.
Israel denies deliberately targeting reporters, but watchdog groups including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have condemned what they describe as "unprecedented violence against journalists" and demanded independent international investigations.
