Israeli fighter jets struck the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis on Monday, killing at least 15 Palestinian civilians, including four journalists, and injuring dozens more, medical sources confirmed.

Among the victims were prominent media workers documenting the ongoing siege: Hossam Al-Masri, a Reuters contractor cameraman; Mohammad Salama, Al Jazeera photojournalist; Mariam Abu Daqa, who worked with outlets including The Independent Arabic and Associated Press; and Moaz Abu Taha, a journalist with NBC. Photographer Hatem Khaled, another Reuters contractor, was critically wounded in the strike.

The attack also claimed the lives of several ambulance and civil defense workers who were risking their lives to evacuate the wounded. Just two days prior, Palestine TV cameraman Khaled al-Madhoun had been killed in a separate Israeli airstrike.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, more than 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire, according to the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate. Human rights organizations and media groups have repeatedly condemned these attacks as deliberate attempts to silence independent reporting and obscure the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

The strike on Nasser Medical Complex, a hospital providing critical care to civilians and the wounded, underscores Israel’s systematic targeting of both medical facilities and journalists, violating international law. Gaza’s hospitals are now overwhelmed, and emergency responders continue to face grave risks in delivering care.

Palestinian officials and civil society groups have condemned the attack as part of Israel’s ongoing campaign of terror against the civilian population, emphasizing that such assaults on medical and media personnel are designed to spread fear and suppress the truth of the humanitarian crisis.

Despite the violence, Palestinian journalists and medical teams continue their work, documenting atrocities and providing care under the most dangerous conditions, demonstrating the resilience and courage of Gaza’s people in the face of occupation. (ILKHA)