Israel's 'double tap': AP, Reuters, others condemn killing of journos

Gaza: World’s front-running media organisations strongly condemned Israel’s continued targeted killings of journalists in war-torn Gaza. On Monday, Israel had bombed the main hospital in southern Gaza and struck the same place again when rescuers and journalists rushed to the spot to help the wounded. The ‘double tap’ killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, The Guardian reported.

According to the news house, the first strike hit the top floor of a building at the Nasser hospital and killed the Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri, along with others. Israeli forces struck the spot again in 15 minutes when rescuers and journalists, who rushed for help, were present there.

The Monday strike killed journalist, namely, Hussam al-Masri of Reuters, Mariam Abu Dagga, who worked for the Associated Press; the Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Salam; the photojournalist Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmad Abu Aziz from Quds Feed. The attack also wounded Hatem Khalid, a second Reuters journalist.

Stating that at least 193 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza since 7th October 2023, when Hamas triggered the full-fledged war with Israel, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Israeli strikes on the hospital on Monday. The organisation demanded action from the international community against Israel’s cruelty, saying that the Zionist power’s broadcast killing of journalists in Gaza continues, and the world waits and fails to act firmly on the most horrific attacks on the press in recent history.

The Associated Press said that it was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of its employee Mariam Dagga, as well as other journalists who lost their lives on Monday. Reuters informed that it was devastated when it heard the death of its journalist Misri and the wounding of Khaled.