At least 20 people have been killed, including five journalists, after Israel struck Nasser Hospital in Gaza, Palestinian health officials have said.
Cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who worked for Reuters; photographer Mohammed Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera, Independent Arabia’s own Maryam Abu Daqqa, and Moaz Abu Taha, who worked for NBC, were killed in the strikes.
Ahmad Abu Aziz, a journalist with Palestinian youth news agency Quds Feed Network, also died from injuries sustained during the strike, the Palestinian government media office said. A rescue worker was also among those killed, health officials added.
The victims on the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital were killed in a double-tap strike with one missile hitting first, then another moments later as rescue crews arrived, an eyewitness told The Independent.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed the strike was a "tragic mishap" and that the military was investigating. US president Donald Trump said he was “not happy about” the attack on the hospital.
Meanwhile, Israeli protesters blocked multiple highways in Tel Aviv, demanding the release of the hostages and an end to Mr Netanyahu’s war in Gaza.
Key Points
- Protesters calling for release of hostages block highways across Israel
- Israel kills sixth journalist in Gaza
- Trump claims Gaza war will reach 'conclusive ending' in weeks
- IDF releases statement following Nasser Hospital strike
- Netanyahu calls strike a 'tragic mishap'
Israel vows to continue Gaza offensive
08:10
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has vowed to press on with the offensive against Gaza City despite alarm abroad and objections at home.
Mr Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel's terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel's plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn't serious about a ceasefire. It said a ceasefire agreement was "the only way to return the hostages", holding Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
US risks being liable for war crimes in Gaza, says rights group
07:43
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Personnel with the US military could face legal liability for assisting Israeli forces found guilty of committing war crimes in Gaza, according to Human Rights Watch.
The rights group said the US military's involvement in operations, including providing intelligence for Israeli attacks, has made Washington a party to the war in Gaza since October 2023.
“The direct US participation in military operations with Israeli forces means that as a matter of international law, the United States has been and currently is a party to the armed conflict in Gaza,” said Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch.
“US military and intelligence personnel and contractors assisting Israeli forces who commit war crimes may at some point find themselves facing criminal prosecution for atrocities in Gaza.”
In pics: Smoke billows after an Israeli army operation in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City
07:38
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Watch: Last video filmed by Independent Arabia journalist Maryam Abu Daqqa
06:59
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Palestinians fear a ‘new Nakba’ as Netanyahu plans occupation
06:47
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Shaimaa believes it is too early to think about the Israeli plan to take over Gaza City. But she quickly changes her mind.
“Since the start of the war, the [Israeli] army has made no secret of its plans for Gaza, and it has unfortunately been implementing those plans with firepower. It’s not too early to prepare for a catastrophe.”
Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to occupy Gaza City.
According to Israel’s Channel 14, the plan will play out in three phases: firstly, allowing increased humanitarian aid to enter Gaza City, followed by the relocation of its residents to centralised camps in the south of the Gaza Strip, and finally, a full blockade of the city, which will be placed under the control of the military.
Ezz Al Din Abu Eisha reports.
Protesters block highways across Israel
06:23
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Protesters across Israel are blocking major highways as they demand the release of the people taken hostage by Hamas-led militants on 7 October 2023.
The protesters have called on prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalise a deal to secure their release and end the almost two-year-long offensive in Gaza.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said that after 690 days of war “without a clear goal", it has become obvious that Mr Netanyahu was “afraid of one thing – public pressure.”
She told the Times of Israel that Netanyahu's government "attacked captivity survivors and the families of the hostages — all in an attempt to silence them.”
“We have a wonderful nation but there is no government,” she said, calling for the public to join the protests today.
“Only with our strength can we bring about a comprehensive agreement and an end to the war. The government abandoned them but the nation will bring them back!”
Maryam Abu Daqqa spent months photographing the war in Gaza. It claimed her life – but her images will endure
06:05
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
As Maryam Abu Daqqa, a photojournalist for Independent Arabia, was climbing onto the emergency building at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, to document the Israeli bombardment, an Israeli airstrike hit the building, claiming her life.
Two strikes hit the fourth and top floors of the emergency building in Nasser Hospital, which was a gathering place for journalists, firefighters, and patients. The second bomb hit the same spot as the first. Four other journalists were killed along with Maryam.
The number of journalists killed during Israel’s 22-month-old war in Gaza is now nearly 200, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists – the largest number of media personnel killed in a modern-day conflict.
Maryam joined Independent Arabia in early 2020 as a photojournalist covering the Gaza Strip. Over the years of her work with Indy Arabia, she covered all Israeli military operations inside the strip, particularly the current war. She did not miss a single day of work after the conflict erupted on 7 October 2023.
Since the outbreak of the war, Maryam donned her body armour, bade farewell to her only son, Ghaith, and set out with her fellow journalists to cover the war daily. Ghaith would travel to the UAE, but Maryam insisted on remaining in Gaza to continue covering the war.
Maryam worked tirelessly to document the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, writes her colleague at Indy Arabia, Ezz Al Din Abu Eisha
Israeli army launches probe into hospital strike that killed journalists
06:01
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
An Israeli military spokesperson claimed the army does not target civilians and that it has launched an internal investigation into the strikes at Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which killed about two dozen people, including five journalists.
Brig Gen Effie Defrin told the Associated Press that Hamas militants were hiding among civilians but did not say whether Israel believed any militants were present during the strikes on the hospital.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement, said: "Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians."
Those killed in the strikes include cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who worked for Reuters; photographer Mohammed Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera, Independent Arabia’s own Maryam Abu Daqqa, and Moaz Abu Taha, who worked for NBC.
Ahmad Abu Aziz, a journalist with Palestinian youth news agency Quds Feed Network, also died from injuries sustained during the strike, the Palestinian government media office said.
Israeli protesters block Tel Aviv highway
05:36
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli protesters this morning have blocked a highway in Tel Aviv as they kicked off a day of intensive protests across Israel in support of a deal to recover the hostages.
Organised demonstrations will be held in Tel Aviv throughout the day, with marches scheduled nationwide from 2pm local time, according to The Times of Israel.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced that it would lead a national “day of struggle” today to secure the release of the people taken hostage by the Hamas-led militants on 7 October 2023.
“An absolute majority of the Israeli people want to bring our loved ones home,” the forum said over the weekend.“The deliberate delay in signing a deal for their return goes against the will of the people and our fundamental values — mutual responsibility and friendship. This is the Israeli ethos — this is our duty.”
The protesters will gather in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv at 5pm today and write notes to send to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military chief.
Lammy condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital
05:03
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
David Lammy has condemned Israel’s missile strike on one of Gaza’s main hospitals, which has killed at least 20 people.
The British foreign secretary said he was “horrified” by the attack on Nasser hospital, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Five journalists were among those killed in the series of strikes, part of a wider offensive Israel has launched on Gaza.
Among the journalists killed were those working for The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Independent Arabia and UK-based media outlet Middle East Eye.
The attack is reportedly one of the deadliest among Israeli strikes that have hit both hospitals and journalists, and has killed at least 20 people, according to Palestinian officials.
More here.
Egypt condemns Israel's attack on Nasser Hospital
04:44
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Egypt has joined foreign nations in condemning Israeli strikes in Gaza that killed at least six journalists yesterday.
The government of Egypt condemned "in the strongest terms, the targeting of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis by the Israeli occupation, which resulted in the deaths of a number of innocent civilians, medical staff, and journalists," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Egypt expresses its deep denunciation of the Israeli occupation’s deliberate targeting of journalists and workers in the medical and humanitarian fields. It also firmly rejects the ongoing acts of genocide being committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
"Egypt calls on the UN Security Council and the international community to fulfil their responsibilities by putting an end to this dangerous course of action and to take effective measures to stop the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip."
Trump claims Gaza war will reach 'conclusive ending' in weeks
04:33
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump has claimed that Israel's war in Gaza will reach a "conclusive ending" in the coming weeks, without elaborating on what that means.
“I think within the next two to three weeks, you’re going to have pretty good, conclusive – a conclusive ending,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"It’s a hard thing to say because they’ve been fighting for thousands of years. But I think we’re doing a very good job," the US president said.
“But it does have to end, but people can’t forget October 7."
In pics: Israelis stage protest against war in Gaza
04:31
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel kills sixth journalist in Gaza
04:18
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israeli military has reportedly killed another Palestinian journalist after five died earlier in the day in an airstrike at Nasser Hospital.
Palestinian correspondent Hassan Douhan was killed in a separate incident in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
In his last Facebook post, Douhan paid tribute to the five journalists killed earlier at Nasser Hospital.
"The martyrs of righteousness and conveying the truth, the word and the picture," he wrote of the slain journalists.
"The martyrs of national duty and journalism. To the eternal heavens, moons of the homeland and professional colleagues."
Editorial: Israel’s killing of journalists is a shameful silencing of reporting on Gaza
03:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Recap: What has Trump said about the strike on Nasser Hospital?
03:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
US President Donald Trump said Monday he’s “not happy” about Israel’s strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.
He said: "I'm not happy about it. I don't want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare.”
The US president noted there’s a “very serious” diplomatic push to end the war. He also said there may be a “conclusive ending” in Gaza in the coming weeks, but he did not offer any further details.
Israel destroyed Gaza’s water plants. Now a deadly condition is spreading like wildfire
02:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Recap: What have European leaders said about Israel's strike on Nasser Hospital?
02:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
World leaders reacted Monday after Israel struck Nasser Hospital in Gaza, killing 20 people, including five journalists.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the strike as “intolerable” and called for Israel to “respect international law”.
British foreign minister David Lammy said he was “horrified” by the attack and called for an “immediate ceasefire”.
The Spanish government condemned the strike, calling it a “flagrant and unacceptable violation of international humanitarian law, which must be investigated”.
The German foreign ministry also called for the attack to be investigated.
UNRWA calls for more protections for journalists and healthcare workers
01:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called for greater protection for journalists and healthcare workers in the wake of Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital.
UNRWA is the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees.
Independent Arabia journalist among 20 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza hospital
01:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
A double Israeli strike on one of the last hospitals in southern Gaza has killed five journalists, including a reporter with The Independent’s partner publication Independent Arabia.
The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew and Nedal Hamdouna report:
Recap: What has Netanyahu said about the strike on Nasser Hospital?
Tuesday 26 August 2025 00:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the deadly strike on Nasser Hospital was a “tragic mishap”.
“Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” the statement reads.
“The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation,” the statement continues. “Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.”
Committee to Protect Journalists calls for accountability after Nasser Hospital strike
Tuesday 26 August 2025 00:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which killed 20 people, including five journalists.
“Israel killed at least five journalists in Nasser Hospital on Monday morning. Israel’s broadcasted killing of journalists in Gaza continues while the world watches and fails to act firmly on the most horrific attacks the press has ever faced in recent history,” the committee’s regional director Sara Qudah said. “These murders must end now. The perpetrators must no longer be allowed to act with impunity.”
The committee says at least 197 journalists and media workers have been killed during the war.
Tribute: Maryam Abu Daqqa spent months photographing the war in Gaza. It claimed her life – but her images will endure
Monday 25 August 2025 23:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Recap: 50 injured in hospital strike, WHO says
Monday 25 August 2025 23:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
The World Health Organization says 50 people were injured in Israel’s strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The strike also killed 20 people, including five journalists.
Critically ill patients who were already at the hospital to receive care were among those injured, according to Dr Ghebreyesus.
“The hospital’s main building, which houses the emergency department, inpatient ward, and surgical unit, was hit,” he said. “The strike damaged the emergency staircase.”
Full story: Lammy condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital that killed five journalists
Monday 25 August 2025 22:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Foreign Press Association calls for international action in wake of Nasser Hospital strike
Monday 25 August 2025 22:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
The Foreign Press Association issued a statement Monday condemning Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital and demanding answers from Israeli officials.
“This has gone on far too long,” the statement said. “Too many journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel without justification. Israel continues to block international journalists from independent access to Gaza.”
“This must be a watershed moment,” the statement continues. “We appeal to international leaders: do everything you can to protect our colleagues. We cannot do it ourselves.”
French President calls Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital 'intolerable'
Monday 25 August 2025 21:40
,
Katie Hawkinson
French President Emmanuel Macron has described Israel’s strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital as “intolerable” and called for Israel to “respect international law”.
“This morning, new Israeli strikes on a hospital in Gaza caused the deaths of numerous civilians and journalists,” he said. “This is intolerable: civilians and journalists must be protected under all circumstances.”
“The media must be able to carry out their mission freely and independently to cover the reality of the conflict,” he added. “Humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter. We call on Israel to respect international law.”
Palestinians fear a ‘new Nakba’ as Netanyahu plans siege
Monday 25 August 2025 21:17
,
Bryony Gooch
'Serious diplomatic push' over Gaza
Monday 25 August 2025 21:00
,
Katie Hawkinson
Now more comments from Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump said there is a "very serious" diplomatic push on Gaza as the US and Israel continue to pressure Hamas to release hostages.
Speaking alongside Trump, Mr Rubio added: "It's never stopped. We've always looked to find a solution, or ultimately, as the president said, we want it to end.
"It has to end with no Hamas."
Trump wants 'conclusive ending' in Gaza
Monday 25 August 2025 20:40
,
Katie Hawkinson
The U.N. secretary-general, along with Britain, France and others, condemned the attack. When asked about the strike, Donald Trump initially said he was not aware of it before offering: "I'm not happy about it. I don't want to see it."
Trump later said he thought there might be a "conclusive ending" in Gaza in the coming weeks, without elaborating. It was not clear if he was referring to Israel's coming offensive or to long-running ceasefire talks.
Netanyahu calls strike a 'tragic mishap'
Monday 25 August 2025 20:25
,
Katie Hawkinson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel “deeply regretted” the strike, which he called a "tragic mishap".
He sought to claim that Israel valued the work of journalists and medical staff – adding that Israel's war was with Hamas.
Israel's military acknowledged striking the area of Nasser hospital and said the chief of the general staff had ordered an inquiry.
Watch: A tribute to Maryam Abu Daqa: Independent Arabia journalist killed in Israeli strike on Gaza hospital
Monday 25 August 2025 20:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Journalist says it is 'incomprehensible' international community isn't doing more to protect reporters
Monday 25 August 2025 19:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Award-winning journalist Alex Crawford told the BBC’s PM programme that it is “incomprehensible” the international community isn’t doing more to protect journalists.
Her comments come in the wake of Israel’s strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, which killed 20 people, including five journalists.
Ms Crawford said:
"There's nothing being done to protest about our blockage and not enough being done to protect those journalists inside.
"The Israeli forces have presented no credible evidence that any of these journalists are anything other than journalists. They haven't presented documentation that we can verify or we can investigate, nothing. And yet this is going on and it's increasing.
"This is the biggest attack so far against a number of journalists in one go. And only two weeks ago, we saw another attack.
“This is, to me, incomprehensible that people are just standing by and watching journalists along with medical workers and hospitals be killed.”
Fellow journalist describes Maryam Abu Daqqa's commitment to her work
Monday 25 August 2025 19:15
,
Katie Hawkinson
Mohammed Abu Shahma, a journalist from Khan Yunis Governorate, told The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew that photojournalist Maryam Abu Daqqa was a “professional and neutral journalist” who stayed in Gaza to cover the war.
Maryam was one of five journalists killed Monday in an Israeli strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.
He told The Independent:
“She had the opportunity to travel to the Emirates to see her son, but she preferred to continue covering the war in the Gaza Strip. Maryam lost her mother about four months ago as she was sick with cancer. Maryam was busy with her mother and always sought to secure treatment for her mother, which, as you know, is unavailable here.
“She faced great difficulty in obtaining treatment for her mother. Although her father suffered from kidney disease, she donated her kidney to him. Her primary concern was his health, especially within the famine and the water shortage issues. Her father needed special care and nutrition in this regard.
“Maryam is a professional and neutral journalist who rushes to the scene, covers it, conveys and exposes the truth. Maryam was an active on social media, had extensive pages, she was influential due to her quick posting on news sites. Her photos were widely shared, and they spread globally. Since the beginning of the war, she moved from the north to the south and was displaced to the Rafah Governorate.”
Israel destroyed Gaza’s water plants. Now a deadly condition is spreading like wildfire
Monday 25 August 2025 19:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Netanyahu calls Nasser Hospital strike a 'tragic mishap'
Monday 25 August 2025 18:45
,
Katie Hawkinson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement following the strike on Nasser Hospital.
“Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” the statement reads.
“The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation,” the statement continues. “Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.”
MSF shares photos taken by Maryam Abu Daqqa
Monday 25 August 2025 18:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
Médecins Sans Frontières released a set of photos taken by Maryam Abu Daqqa, a photojournalist for Independent Arabia who was killed in the strike on Nasser Hospital.
“We are heartbroken by her death,” the humanitarian organization wrote. “Below are photos she took while on assignments with us, documenting how healthcare staff are working tirelessly to care for people as Israel pursues genocide in Gaza.”
Colleagues honour journalist Ahmad Abu Aziz
Monday 25 August 2025 18:22
,
Katie Hawkinson
Journalist Ahmad Abu Aziz was among the five journalists killed in the Israeli strike on Gaza’s Nasser hospital.
His colleagues say he was an ambitious and kind reporter, the UK-based outlet Middle East Eye reports. The outlet’s Jerusalem bureau chief, Lubna Masarwa, described his stories as “exceptional” and “intimate.”
“He had ambition,” she told the outlet. “He was very stubborn. He kept going all the way.”
Sameer al-Bouji, an NBC journalist in Gaza, told the Middle East Eye that Abu Aziz was “so kind” and “never late for any story.”
“I cry from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “May god have mercy on his soul and the other journalists.”
UN Secretary-General condemns Nasser Hospital strike
Monday 25 August 2025 18:15
,
Katie Hawkinson
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres “strongly condemns” Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, according to his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.
The strike killed 20 people, including five journalists.
“These latest horrific killings highlight the extreme risks that medical personnel and journalists face as they carry out their vital work amid this brutal conflict,” the spokesperson said.
“The Secretary-General recalls that civilians, including medical personnel and journalists, must be respected and protected at all times,” he continued. “He calls for a prompt, and impartial investigation into these killings.”
Baby who ‘knew nothing but war’ dies of malnutrition as Gaza crisis deepens
Monday 25 August 2025 18:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Maryam Abu Daqqa's father speaks out after her death: 'She was beloved by everyone'
Monday 25 August 2025 17:57
,
Katie Hawkinson
Maryam Abu Daqqa’s father, Riyad, spoke to Indy Arabia about his daughter. She was one of five journalists killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.
“I’m the father of the martyr Maryam Riyad Abu Daqqa,” he said. “May God have mercy on her soul. She was one of my most beloved sons and daughters. She gave me a kidney, and they transplanted it to me.”
“She was beloved by everyone, and all of Gaza loved her: land, air, and sea. She was beloved by everyone, and she loved the good of all people,” he continued. “She was active in her work. All of the good qualities are present in my daughter Maryam. May God have mercy on her soul. May God admit her to the highest paradise. This is a loss, not just for me, but for all of Gaza because she was so beloved.”
Spain condemns Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital
Monday 25 August 2025 17:45
,
Katie Hawkinson
The Spanish government has condemned the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital.
“We reiterate that specially protected sites cannot be targeted,” Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “This is a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international humanitarian law, which must be investigated.”
“The pain caused by the death of civilians is compounded by that of media professionals, whose work is essential and must be given special protection,” the statement continues. “Spain reiterates its total commitment to the right of access to information, which is essential to guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens.”
In pictures: Mourners carry the body of one of five journalists killed in Israeli strike
Monday 25 August 2025 17:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Germany calls for probe into Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital
Monday 25 August 2025 17:08
,
Bryony Gooch
The German foreign ministry said on Monday it was shocked by the killing of several j
