Overview

• Hospital and health authorities reported 19–20 dead, including five journalists, with AP and Reuters confirming the loss of freelancers Mariam Dagga and Hussam al-Masri and Al Jazeera naming Mohammed Salama alongside Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz.
• Eyewitnesses described an initial blast hitting the hospital’s fourth floor followed by a second strike as rescuers arrived.
• The Israeli military acknowledged an attack in the area, said it does not intentionally target journalists, and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a rapid preliminary investigation, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a tragic mistake.
• Foreign press groups and governments, including Germany’s Foreign Office, demanded explanations as AP and Reuters issued a joint letter, and the WHO reported dozens injured and urged protection of health facilities.
• Later reports said another journalist, Hassan Duhan, was shot dead nearby, CPJ counts nearly 200 journalists killed since the war began, access for foreign media remains heavily restricted, and Israeli outlets cited unverified claims of Hamas surveillance activity at the hospital.