Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza hospital kills 15, hospital says
[August 25, 2025]
By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and SAM METZ
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli strike hit a southern Gaza’s
main hospital Monday, killing 15 people according to hospital records.
The victims on the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital were killed when one
missile hit and was followed in the same spot by another missile moments
later as rescue crews arrived, the ministry said.
Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, has
withstood raids and bombardment throughout 22 months of war, with
officials citing critical shortages of supplies and staff.
Among the 15 killed were four journalists including 33-year-old Mariam
Dagga, a visual journalist who had worked for The Associated Press since
the start of the war.
Dagga was a freelancer who recently reported on Nasser Hospital doctors
struggling to save children with no prior health issues who were dying
or wasting away from starvation. Al Jazeera and Reuters also confirmed
their journalists and freelancers were among those killed.
The Israel-Hamas war has been one of the bloodiest conflicts for media
workers, with a total of 192 journalists killed in Gaza in the 22-month
conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Neither Israel’s military nor the Prime Minister's office immediately
responded to questions about the strike.
In addition to the 15 killed at Nasser Hospital, hospital officials in
northern Gaza also reported deaths from strikes and gunfire along the
route to aid sites. Three Palestinians, including a child, were killed
in a strike on a neighborhood in Gaza City, where Israel is preparing
for a broader ground invasion in the coming days, Shifa Hospital said.
Al-Awda Hospital reported six aid-seekers trying to reach a distribution
point in central Gaza were killed by Israeli gunfire in an incident that
also wounded 15. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a
question about the aid seekers.
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Buildings that were destroyed during Israeli ground and air
operations stand in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern
Israel, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israeli strikes and raids on hospitals are not uncommon. Multiple
hospitals have been struck or raided across the Gaza Strip, with
Israel claiming its attacks had targeted militants operating inside
the medical facilities, without providing evidence.
A June strike on Nasser Hospital killed three people and wounded 10,
according to the health ministry. At the time, Israel's military
said it had targeted Hamas militants operating from a command and
control center inside the hospital. A March strike on the hospital's
surgical unit days after a ceasefire broke down killed two people.
The health ministry said Sunday that at least 62,686 Palestinians
have been killed in the war. It does not distinguish between
fighters and civillians but says around half have been women and
children. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most
reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but
has not provided its own.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Metz reported from Jerusalem. Melanie
Lidman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
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