AP, Reuters demand answers after Gaza hospital strike kills reporters Video

26 August 2025 13:36

The Associated Press and Reuters have formally demanded explanations from Israeli authorities following airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, that killed several journalists on August 25.

In a joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and the Director of the Government Press Office Nitzan Chen, the agencies condemned the attacks and called for “urgent and transparent accountability.”

“We are outraged that independent journalists were among the victims of this strike on the hospital, a location that is protected under international law,” the letter said.

It noted that freelance visual journalists Mariam Dagga and Moaz Abu Taha, as well as Reuters contractors Hussam al-Masri and Hatem Khaled, were killed or wounded while carrying out professional reporting.

The letter highlighted the challenges faced by foreign media in Gaza, citing Israel’s nearly two-year ban on entry for international journalists. “Their work is especially vital in light of Israel’s nearly two-year ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza,” it stated.

While the Israel Defence Forces acknowledged conducting the strikes and said it is investigating, the agencies expressed scepticism over the IDF’s ability to provide independent answers. “We have found the IDF’s willingness and ability to investigate itself in past incidents to rarely result in clarity and action,” the letter said.

The statement added, “Striking a hospital, followed by a second strike while journalists and rescuers were responding, raises urgent questions about whether these obligations were upheld.”

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 197 media workers have been killed in the region since 7 October 2023, including 189 Palestinians.

The AP and Reuters concluded by urging Israel to “allow independent journalists safe, unimpeded access into and out of Gaza, and to uphold their obligations to ensure press freedom and protection.”