Israel’s military says a strike that killed 20 people at a hospital, including 5 journalists, targeted a camera purportedly used by Hamas to observe troops.
Israel’s military issued a statement Tuesday saying its preliminary investigation into a strike the previous day that killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, at the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip had targeted a camera that it said was being used by Hamas for surveillance.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops in Khan Younis identified a camera „being used to observe the activity of IDF troops, in order to direct terrorist activities against them.“
The IDF did not provide evidence to back the assertion, but said it was „further supported“ by previously documented Hamas usage of hospitals „by the terrorist organizations throughout the war, and by intelligence confirming Hamas‘ use of the Nasser Hospital to carry out terrorist activities since the start of the war.“
The Israeli military’s explanation contrasted with a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a few hours after the incident, expressing regret for what he called a „tragic mishap“, with no suggestion of a specific Hamas target at the hospital.
„Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians“, Netanyahu’s office said in the statement released on social media. „The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.“
In what witnesses described as a double-tap strike by Israeli drones — with one missile striking the hospital followed by another as people gathered to assess the damage and attend to the wounded — five Palestinian journalists were killed on Monday.
Their identities were confirmed as Hossam al-Masri, who worked for the Reuters news agency, Mohammed Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera, and freelance journalists Maryam Abu Daqqa, Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz.
