Israeli forces fired on a Gaza hospital twice on Monday, killing at least 20 people.
Soldiers fired the second strike on Al-Nasser hospital as journalists and rescuers arrived at the scene, and health workers tried to leave.
International news wires Reuters and The Associated Press have both confirmed their journalists were killed in the strikes.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement calling the strikes “a tragic mishap”.
Attack
Israeli forces initially fired on the Al-Nasser hospital in Gaza at around 10am on Monday (local time). Reuters said the first strike killed one of its camera operators, citing local health authorities.
Witnesses told Reuters and the BBC that Israeli forces fired a second strike shortly afterwards, when medical staff were trying to leave and journalists were arriving at the scene.
World Health Organisation director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the strikes killed at least 20, including five journalists and four health workers.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
Ghebreyesus added that of the 50 people injured, several were “critically ill patients who were already receiving care.”
“While people in Gaza are being starved, their already limited access to health care is being further crippled by repeated attacks,” Ghebreyesus said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said the strikes brought the number of journalists killed in Gaza to 189 since October 2023.
International law
Under international law, it is a war crime to deliberately target journalists, health workers, and hospitals.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutes allegations of war crimes by individuals against civilians.
It has active proceedings against Netanyahu for allegations including starvation of civilians “as a method of warfare,” and “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
