Israeli “Double Tap” Strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital Kills at Least 20, Including Five Journalists
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, was hit by two consecutive Israeli strikes on Monday, August 25, 2025, killing at least 20 people.
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip – The Israeli military conducted two consecutive strikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five Palestinian journalists, rescue workers, and patients. The attack, described by observers as a “double tap” strike, has ignited international condemnation and calls for an independent investigation into the targeting of a medical facility and media personnel. The Israeli military later claimed the strike targeted a Hamas observation camera, a claim Hamas officials have rejected as “baseless.”
The controversial
Nasser Hospital strike hit an exterior staircase on an upper floor of the medical center, a location regularly used by international news agencies for livestreaming and reporting from the besieged enclave. The tactic of striking a target and then hitting the same location minutes later, known as a “double tap,” has drawn severe criticism in other conflicts for its high risk to civilians and first responders. This attack further highlights the extreme dangers faced by Palestinian journalists, who have become the world’s primary source of on-the-ground information from Gaza amid Israel’s long-standing ban on foreign reporters entering the territory.
Timeline of the Attack
The incident unfolded on the afternoon of Monday, August 25, 2025. The initial Israeli strike hit the facade of Nasser Hospital, killing Hussam al-Masri, a Palestinian cameraman working as a contractor for Reuters, as he operated a live video feed. Another person was also killed in the first blast.
Verified video footage shows that approximately seven minutes later, a second strike hit the same part of the building after a crowd of journalists, hospital staff, and rescue workers had gathered to provide aid. Hospital officials reported that this second explosion killed 18 people. In total, the dead included five journalists: Hussam al-Masri (Reuters), Mariam Abu Dagga (Associated Press freelancer), Mohammed Salama (Al Jazeera), Moaz Abu Taha (freelance), and Ahmed Abu Aziz (Middle East Eye).
Conflicting Claims Emerge
On Tuesday, the Israeli military offered its explanation for the
Nasser Hospital strike, stating it was intended to destroy an “observation camera positioned by Hamas” that was being used to direct operations against its forces. The military also claimed that six of the individuals killed were Palestinian militants, including one involved in the October 7, 2023 attack, though it did not provide any evidence to substantiate these claims. A military spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the journalists killed were “not a target of the strike.” This explanation followed an initial statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that called the civilian deaths a “tragic mishap.”
Hamas vehemently rejected the Israeli account, labeling it a “false narrative” designed to “evade legal and moral responsibility for a full-fledged massacre.” The Hamas government’s media office asserted that the camera targeted belonged to journalist Hussam al-Masri, not Hamas, and denied that any militants were among the dead.
International Condemnation and Calls for Investigation
The attack has prompted a swift and sharp international outcry. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres demanded an independent inquiry into the Israeli strike. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a press freedom group, expressed “dissatisfaction” with the Israeli military’s initial inquiry, noting that nearly 200 journalists have been killed in the conflict.
In a rare joint letter to Israeli officials, The Associated Press and Reuters questioned the military’s ability to conduct an impartial investigation into its actions, stating that past self-investigations “rarely result in clarity and action.” The letter demanded a “quick, thorough” investigation that could provide clear answers and accountability. In response to the growing pressure, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has ordered a further inquiry to examine “several gaps” in the investigation, including the strike’s authorization process.
