Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital

A double Israeli strike on a hospital in Gaza killed 20 folks together with journalists and well being employees, in line with the shops they labored for, the World Health Organization and the Hamas-run well being ministry.

At least one individual was killed in an preliminary strike, and others in a second assault minutes later as rescuers and journalists attended the scene at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

The 5 journalists labored for worldwide media shops, together with the Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye.

Later on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu known as the incident a “tragic mishap” which Israel “deeply regrets” and mentioned army authorities had been “conducting a thorough investigation”.

The first strike hit at round 10:00 native time, medical employees at Nasser mentioned.

There was “mass panic… chaos”, mentioned a British medical skilled working on the hospital, who was treating sufferers within the intensive care unit on the time.

Approximately 10 minutes later there was one other blast in the identical spot, the medical skilled mentioned, including that medical employees had been planning their escape from the constructing when the second strike hit.

The hospital’s emergency division, inpatient ward, and surgical unit was hit, in line with the World Health Organization. Its head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned the emergency staircase was additionally broken.

BBC Verify has seen footage to verify these timings.

A livestream by Al Ghad TV exhibits a number of emergency employees responding to the primary strike close to the highest flooring of Nasser Hospital, as a lot of journalists within the background movie what’s taking place.

A staircase, the place journalists usually collect to broadcast from, is seen within the video. A strike then instantly hits the emergency employees and reporters, sending smoke and rubble within the air. At least one physique is seen within the aftermath.

A separate video, filmed from the identical staircase, exhibits the aftermath of the strike. Bodies might be seen on the staircase, as medics reply to the assault.

Another clip, filmed in entrance of the primary entrance of Nasser hospital, exhibits a medical employee holding up bloodied garments to the digital camera, earlier than an explosion sends folks operating for canopy.

The British medical skilled described seeing “trails of blood all over the floor” and “absolute scenes of chaos, disbelief, and fear”.

The identities of the slain journalists have been confirmed however we all know little in regards to the different fatalities. The Hamas-run well being ministry mentioned rescuers and sufferers had been killed.

Husam al-Masri labored as a cameraman for Reuters. The information company reported he was killed in a primary strike on the hospital whereas working a dwell TV feed for Reuters. News organisations around the globe together with the BBC have used footage he has taken.

Mariam Dagga, 33, was a contract journalist working with the Associated Press (AP) who mentioned she usually reported from the hospital. One of AP’s regional editors, Abby Sewell, mentioned Dagga leaves behind a son who was evacuated from Gaza earlier within the battle.

Mohammad Salama labored for Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye. Salama was planning his marriage ceremony to a different journalist, Hala Asfour, with the pair hoping to wed after a ceasefire, in line with Al Jazeera.

Ahmed Abu Aziz labored for Middle East Eye, in line with its personal reporting. The outlet says he labored on a contract foundation and was primarily based in Khan Younis.

Moaz Abu Taha labored with numerous shops, together with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz only a fortnight in the past filming a video name with journalists that confirmed youngsters affected by malnutrition at Nasser. Reuters mentioned they sometimes printed work by him.

Israel doesn’t permit worldwide information organisations, together with the BBC, into Gaza to report freely. Local reporters are relied upon to offer info to the world’s media companies.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says greater than 190 journalists have been killed in 22 months of battle, the overwhelming majority Palestinians killed in Israeli assaults.

Two weeks in the past, Israel killed six journalists in a targeted attack on one of them close to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, drawing outrage.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initially confirmed it carried out a strike within the space of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

Throughout the day, Israeli officers issued a number of statements with little info in them, indicating an absence of readability inside the army in regards to the assault however designed to deal with widespread outrage.

On Monday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned Israel “deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza”, including that Israel “values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians” and saying the army was conducting a “thorough investigation”.

However, the assertion does little to deal with the obvious “double-tap” nature of the assault. The reality that the majority of those that had been killed had been struck by the second assault at exactly the identical location round 10 minutes later seems clearly intentional.

“Double taps” are a controversial army tactic which might be designed to maximise casualties by firing on those that reply to the scene of a primary assault.

Statements from media organisations, together with the Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, accused the Israeli army of a sample of deliberately focusing on journalists all through the battle.

It is unclear if and when Israel will publish outcomes of the inner inquiry it says it has begun.

UN Secretary General António Guterres strongly condemned the “horrific killings” at Nasser hospital, which he mentioned “highlight the extreme risks that medical personnel and journalists face as they carry out their vital work amid this brutal conflict”, and known as for a “prompt, and impartial investigation”.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy mentioned he was “horrified” and known as for a direct ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron known as the strikes “intolerable” and mentioned civilians and journalists have to be protected. He renewed the decision for humanitarian assist to be allowed inside Gaza and for Israel “to respect international law”.

Germany’s overseas workplace mentioned it was “shocked”.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump mentioned he was unaware of the strikes, however when requested for his response he mentioned he was “not happy about it”.

Media freedom teams additionally issued condemnation.

“When and where is it going to end? There is international law,” mentioned the top of Reporters with out Borders Thibaut Bruttin.

“There are guarantees that should be granted to journalists covering conflicts, and none of that seems to be applying.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists mentioned: “Israel’s broadcasted killing of journalists in Gaza continues while the world watches and fails to act firmly”.

The Foreign Press Association mentioned the newest killings should function a “watershed moment” and urged worldwide leaders to behave. It known as on Israel to “halt its abhorrent practice of targeting journalists”, including that “too many journalists have been killed by Israel without justification”.