Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital kills wounded journalist

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Tuesday killed prominent Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih while he was recovering from earlier injuries at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry. 

The attack also killed another patient and injured several others.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a Hamas command and control center operating from within the hospital in Khan Younis, but did not name specific individuals. The military alleged that Aslih, who was also a well-known social media personality with hundreds of thousands of followers, had participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

According to the military, Aslih documented and shared footage of “looting, arson and murder” during that incursion. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of embedding operatives within civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.

Gaza’s civil emergency services reported that the strike hit the third floor of a Nasser Hospital building, where dozens of patients were being treated. Reuters footage from the scene showed significant damage to medical equipment and hospital beds.

“I came to the hospital not knowing whether to mourn the martyrs, treat the patients and injured, or deal with the staff who no longer feel safe,” said Atef Al-Hout, director of Nasser Hospital.

Aslih, who led the Alam24 news outlet and worked as a freelance photojournalist with several Western media organizations, had previously been injured in an earlier Israeli strike last month that hit a tent within the same hospital compound.

Journalism Under Fire

The International Federation of Journalists reports that at least 160 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Gaza officials put the number even higher, at 215, and accuse Israel of deliberately targeting journalists—an accusation Israel denies.

Israel maintains it does not intentionally target civilians or journalists and insists it takes measures to minimize civilian harm.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

Tuesday's airstrike comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to local health officials, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its military response to the October 7 attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures.

One of those hostages, Israeli-American Edan Alexander, was freed by Hamas on Monday and has returned to Israel, Israeli authorities confirmed.

Meanwhile, a blockade on aid supplies entering Gaza since March 2 has placed the population at imminent risk of famine, according to a U.N.-backed monitor. A senior official from the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the ongoing hunger and malnutrition crisis could have devastating long-term impacts on an entire generation of Palestinians.

As the war grinds on, health and humanitarian workers say hospitals—once considered sanctuaries—are increasingly becoming battlegrounds, raising grave concerns over the future of medical care and civilian safety in the besieged enclave.