Five Journalists Dead: Analyzing the Aftermath of Israel’s ‘Double-Tap’ Strike on Gaza Medical Facility
On August 25, 2025, Israeli forces conducted a “double-tap” strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing at least 20 people, including five Palestinian journalists: Mohammad Salama (Al Jazeera), Hussam al-Masri (Reuters contractor), Mariam Abu Dagga (Associated Press freelancer), Moath Abu Taha, and Ahmed Abu Aziz (both freelance).
A sixth journalist, Hassan Douhan (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida), was killed in a separate attack in Khan Younis that day. The first strike hit the hospital’s fourth floor, followed minutes later by a second strike targeting rescuers and journalists on an exterior staircase, a known media vantage point. Videos from Al-Ghad TV and witnesses captured the second strike’s chaos, showing bloodied bodies and panicked responders.The attack drew global condemnation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called it one of the deadliest strikes on media in the Gaza war, with 193–273 journalists killed since October 2023, per CPJ and Al Jazeera tallies. The Foreign Press Association labeled it a “watershed moment,” accusing Israel of targeting journalists without justification.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and leaders like UK’s David Lammy and France’s Emmanuel Macron condemned the strikes, with Macron calling them “intolerable.” Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the World Health Organization decried the attack on Gaza’s last major functioning hospital.Israel’s military admitted to the strike, claiming a camera on the hospital roof was used by Hamas for surveillance, though no evidence was provided.
An Israeli official revealed two tank shells were fired—one at the camera, the second at responders—prompting war crime allegations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mishap” and promised an investigation, but critics, including Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, accused Israel of a deliberate campaign to silence journalists. Israel’s history of targeting media and hospitals, often without substantiated claims of Hamas activity, fueled outrage
About the Author
