Gaza: An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza has killed at least 21 people, including five journalists and several medics, in what witnesses and medical officials have described as a targeted “double-tap” strike on a facility protected under international law.

The attack, which took place on Monday, is among the deadliest on a medical facility since the start of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. It marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has already devastated the region’s healthcare infrastructure and drawn mounting international condemnation.

According to Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of the hospital’s pediatrics department, the first missile struck the top floor of a hospital building. Minutes later, as medics and journalists—clearly marked in orange vests—climbed the external staircase to assist victims and document the damage, a second strike hit the same area.

Journalist who died: 

Mohammad Salama, a journalist with Al Jazeera

Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman

Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist working for the Associated Press

Ahmed Abu Aziz and Moaz Abu Taha, both local media workers

The attack has thrown the area into chaos. “It has sent the entire area into an absolute sense of panic,” reported Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum from nearby Deir el-Balah. “Not only for passers-by or people living in the vicinity of the hospital, but for the patients themselves, who are receiving treatment in one of the areas that must be protected under international humanitarian law.”

This strike adds to a pattern of attacks on hospitals, ambulances, and press workers that human rights groups have labeled deliberate and systematic.

Over the course of the nearly two-year war, hundreds of medical staff and journalists have been killed, with Israel facing growing accusations of war crimes and genocide.

On the other side the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned the recent Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital, calling it part of a pattern of illegal assaults that demand urgent international accountability.

In a statement, CPJ said, “The world is watching, but decisive action is still missing.” The organization emphasized that global powers must hold Israel accountable for its unlawful military operations.

Highlighting the ongoing threats faced by journalists in conflict zones, CPJ warned that the media is currently facing some of the most severe and historic attacks. “Journalists are under unprecedented threat — these are among the worst attacks in history,” the organization stated.

CPJ has consistently called for the protection of journalists and press freedom, particularly in regions affected by conflict and war.