On August 25, 2025, tragedy unfolded at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. What began as a normal morning inside one of the area’s main hospitals ended with scenes of chaos, disbelief, and grief after two back-to-back Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people and wounded scores more. Among the dead were journalists, doctors, rescue workers, and patients who had sought safety inside the hospital’s walls.
The first strike hit the hospital at around 10 a.m., shattering windows and ripping through an upper floor that housed operating rooms and doctors’ residences. Medical staff described “mass panic” as patients, some already hooked to IV drips, were rushed through corridors.
A British doctor who was inside the intensive care unit said staff were preparing to escape the building when, just ten minutes later, a second strike landed in the same place. That attack tore through the emergency stairwell — a spot often used by journalists to film live reports — and it was here that most of the casualties occurred.
Video footage later verified by news agencies showed rescuers and journalists climbing the staircase after the first strike. Seconds later, an explosion engulfed them in smoke and rubble. In the aftermath, bodies were seen lying on the staircase, with medics desperately trying to help the wounded. Other footage captured a medical worker holding up bloodied clothing before another explosion sent people running for cover.
The victims included five journalists who had been reporting from Gaza throughout the war. Husam al-Masri, a cameraman for Reuters, was killed during the first strike as he operated a live TV feed. His footage had been used globally, including by the BBC. Mariam Dagga, a 33-year-old freelance journalist working with the Associated Press, was one of the few female reporters covering the war.
She regularly reported from Nasser Hospital and leaves behind a 13-year-old son who now lives abroad. Mohammad Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, had been planning his wedding once a ceasefire was reached. Another victim, 28-year-old Ahmed Abu Aziz, also with Middle East Eye, had recently married and spoke openly about the harsh daily life in Gaza. Moaz Abu Taha, who had worked with multiple outlets including Haaretz, was also among the dead.
For international news organizations, these local reporters were a lifeline. Since the war began in October 2023, foreign journalists have not been allowed into Gaza freely, leaving local journalists to bear witness. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 190 reporters have been killed in Gaza during the 22-month war — one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers in modern history.
The strikes did not only claim the lives of journalists. Rescue workers, hospital patients, and staff were also among the dead. Gaza’s health ministry reported around 80 people wounded in the attack, many in the hospital courtyard. The World Health Organization confirmed that the emergency department, surgical unit, and inpatient ward were also damaged.
Reactions came swiftly. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned what he called “horrific killings,” emphasizing the extreme risks faced by journalists and medical workers in conflict zones. The UK’s Foreign Secretary said he was “horrified” and called for a ceasefire, while French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the strikes “intolerable” and urged Israel to respect international law. Germany’s foreign office said it was “shocked,” and U.S. President Donald Trump, when asked, admitted he was “not happy about it.” Media watchdogs like Reporters Without Borders and the Foreign Press Association demanded accountability, with calls for the incident to mark a turning point in how the international community responds to attacks on journalists.
Israel’s military confirmed it had struck the area but offered shifting statements throughout the day. Israeli media suggested the army may have been targeting a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital roof. By evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement describing the event as a “tragic mishap” that Israel “deeply regrets,” adding that the military was conducting an internal investigation. However, critics noted the statement did not explain why a second strike was launched at the exact same spot minutes later, a tactic often referred to as a “double tap” — designed to cause maximum casualties by hitting rescuers and those documenting the aftermath.
This was not the first time Nasser Hospital had been struck. Earlier in the year, other attacks on the facility killed both civilians and Hamas figures, according to Israeli claims. But Monday’s double strike was different: it directly hit those whose jobs were to save lives and tell the world what was happening.
As of now, the war has claimed more than 62,000 Palestinian lives, about half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Over 1,500 health workers have been killed, and the hospitals that remain open are overwhelmed, treating not only war injuries but also growing cases of malnutrition and disease.
The strike on Nasser Hospital has raised deeper questions about accountability, the targeting of journalists, and the rules of war. For many, Netanyahu’s words — “tragic mishap” — do not match the scale of what happened. Whether the internal investigation will bring clarity remains uncertain. What is clear is that the hospital staircase, once a place where the world’s reporters tried to show the truth, has now become a symbol of the dangers faced by those who dare to bear witness in one of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.