In response to media queries on the recent loss of journalists’ lives in Khan Younis, Gaza, Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The killing of journalists is shocking and deeply regrettable.”
“The Government of India has always condemned the loss of civilian lives in conflict zones. We understand that Israeli authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) added.
The tragedy occurred when Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 people, including five journalists, in what has been described as a “double-tap” attack. Among the journalists killed were Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, and Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist with the Associated Press.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Israel expressed deep regret over the incident. Video footage from Al-Ghad TV captured the second strike, showing a massive explosion enveloping people in smoke on the hospital staircase. Hospital officials confirmed that the second strike alone killed 18 individuals.
The Israeli military did not clarify the rationale behind the second strike or how militants were distinguished from civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mishap” but did not elaborate on the cause.
The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the killings. Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said, “The killing of journalists in Gaza should shock the world… not into stunned silence but into action demanding accountability and justice.”
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed 189 Palestinian journalist lives in Gaza over the last 22 months. The Gaza Health Ministry reported three more civilian deaths from starvation and malnutrition, raising the total to 186 since late June, including 117 children.