Gaza's Civil Defense Agency said five journalists were among at least 20 people killed on Monday in Israeli strikes on a hospital in the south of the enclave.
Reuters, the Associated Press and Al Jazeera television have confirmed that journalists who contributed to these media outlets are among those killed.
The agency's spokesman, Mahmoud Bassal, said that "the number has reached 20 martyrs, including five journalists and a member of the Civil Defense," after the attacks on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis - a large medical complex in the south that has been targeted several times by Israel since the start of the war.
According to media observers, around 200 journalists have been killed during the two years of war between Israel and Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist group by the United States and other powers.
The Israeli army has confirmed that its military troops carried out attacks in the area of the hospital in Khan Yunis.
"The Chief of General Staff ordered an initial investigation to be carried out as soon as possible," the military said in a statement, adding that it "regrets the harm to uninvolved individuals" and that it "does not target journalists."
Nasser Hospital is among the only health centers in the Gaza Strip that is at least partially functional.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas attacks on Israeli soil in October 2023, leaving at least 1,200 people killed, mostly civilians.
At least 62,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Israeli offensive, most of them women and children, according to data from health authorities in Gaza.
International aid organizations have raised the alarm for famine in Gaza, as most aid entrances remain blocked.
Israel, on the other hand, rejects these assessments./REL
