Today's News: Israeli “Double-Tap” Strikes on Gaza Hospital Kill Journalists and Medics
The second strike occurred minutes after the first, targeting those who had rushed to aid the initial victims. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the deaths as a “tragic mishap.”
Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib (DPA/Europa Press)
Overview
Date: August 25, 2025
Topic: Israeli “Double-Tap” Strikes on Gaza Hospital Kill Journalists and Medics
Summary: The Israeli military conducted two successive strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, resulting in at least 20 deaths, including five journalists, medical personnel, and rescue workers. The second strike occurred minutes after the first, targeting those who had rushed to aid the initial victims. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the deaths as a “tragic mishap” and ordered an investigation, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintained they do not intentionally target civilians and accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure. The incident drew widespread international condemnation from various countries, the United Nations, and press freedom organizations.
Sources
The New York Times - 20 Killed in Gaza Hospital Strikes. Netanyahu Claims ‘Tragic Mishap.’
CNN - Outrage after Israel kills five journalists in ‘double-tap’ attack on Gaza hospital
The Washington Post - Israeli attack on Gaza hospital kills 20, including journalists and medics
BBC - Five journalists among 20 killed in Israeli double strike on hospital
The Guardian - Israel bombed Gaza hospital a second time, killing rescuers, say health officials
Key Points
All articles confirm that the Israeli military carried out two consecutive strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The strikes resulted in approximately 20 fatalities, including five identified journalists, medical staff, and civil defense rescue workers.
The incident is widely referred to as a “double-tap” strike, where a second attack targets those responding to an initial strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF expressed regret for civilian harm, describing the event as a “tragic mishap” and stating that an investigation has been ordered.
The IDF maintained that it does not intentionally target civilians and accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields.
The journalists killed were identified as Hussam al-Masri (Reuters contractor), Mohammad Salama (Al Jazeera), Mariam Dagga/Abu Dagga (Associated Press freelancer), Moaz Abu Taha (freelancer, contributed to Reuters and others), and Ahmed Abu Aziz (freelancer, contributed to Middle East Eye and Quds Feed).
The attack sparked widespread international condemnation from the United Nations, numerous countries (including the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Spain), and press freedom organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders.
The articles highlight that the Gaza conflict has been exceptionally deadly for journalists, with Israel’s restrictions on international media access making local Palestinian journalists crucial for coverage.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times noted that a New York Times investigation had found Israel significantly loosened safeguards to protect civilians and detailed a prior attack in April that killed medics in Rafah.
CNN reported an Israeli security official’s admission that IDF forces identified a camera on the hospital roof, authorized a drone strike, but instead fired two tank shells—the second at rescue forces—which CNN deemed a “remarkable admission” of intentionally targeting first responders.
Fox News quoted IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin specifically stating that Hamas “even operated from the Nasser Hospital itself.”
The Washington Post cited Adil Haque, an expert on the law of armed conflict, who stated that “it appears that none of these conditions were met” for a lawful attack on a hospital or “double-tap” strike. It also detailed witness accounts from journalists Ibrahim Qanan and Haitham Imad confirming that the staircase was a known press gathering spot for cellphone service.
BBC specified that the World Health Organization’s chief confirmed four health workers were killed. It also relayed Hadil Abu Zaid from Medical Aid for Palestinians, describing explosions tearing through the operating theatre.
The Guardian noted that Israel has regularly struck hospitals, claiming without evidence that Hamas uses them for military purposes.
EL PAÍS cited a report by Action on Gun Violence stating that 88% of Israeli military internal investigations into alleged crimes in Gaza end in closure or are unresolved. It also mentioned a sixth journalist, Hassan Douhan, killed in a separate Israeli military fire incident in Al Mawasi on the same day. Dr. Saber al Asmar from Nasser Hospital’s ICU described “two or three” medical students as “unrecognizable and disintegrated in pieces” after the second bombing.
EL PAÍS also provided an in-depth explanation of the “double-tap strike” tactic, citing Christian Arias, a national defense expert, on its violations of the Geneva Conventions and Rome Statute. It also referenced previous Israeli “double-tap” attacks, such as one in July 2024 in Al Mawasi that killed 90 people, and compared the tactic to its use by Russia in Ukraine and the US (CIA) in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Contrasting Details
Number of Journalists Killed in Gaza Since October 2023: While The New York Times, CNN, BBC, and The Guardian report figures ranging from “nearly 200” to “at least 193” journalists killed since the start of the war, EL PAÍS (both articles) states “more than 240 journalists” have been killed, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
Source of the Strikes:
The New York Times stated the military “did not specify if the strikes had been carried out by missiles, tank fire or drones.”
CNN reported that “Israeli forces fired two tank shells.”
Fox News and The Washington Post both mentioned that “Israeli media reported that Israeli troops had fired the artillery rounds” or “Israeli tank fire.”
EL PAÍS contradicted these, stating, “First, a suicide drone struck the terrace… Minutes later, … Israel launched a missile that directly hit them.”
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