Israel is facing global condemnation after 20 people were killed in an attack on a hospital in Gaza, and domestic protests from families of hostages taken by Hamas.
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. It was among the deadliest of multiple Israeli strikes that have hit both hospitals and journalists over the course of the 22-month war.
The United States, Britain, Egypt, France, and Spain denounced the attack, while Germany has called for an investigation.
US President Trump 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.”
He added that there’s a “very serious” diplomatic push to end the war and that there may be a “conclusive ending” in Gaza in the coming weeks, but he did not offer any further details.
British foreign minister David Lammy said he was “horrified” by the attack and called for an “immediate ceasefire”.
Separately, Israeli protestors across the country have blocked major highways as they continue to demand the release of the people taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, who represent the relatives of the hostages, started their ‘national day of struggle’ at 6.29am local time, the same time Hamas launched their attack two years ago.
“Advancing the plan to conquer Gaza while there is an agreement lying on the table for the Prime Minister’s signature is a stab in the heart of the families and the entire nation,” said Itzik Horn, father of Eitan Horn and captivity survivor Iair Horn.
Footage shared online shows traffic grinding to a halt as a large fire blazed across parts of a road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The Coastal Highway in the outskirts of Tel Aviv was also closed to traffic around Yakum Junction.
Demonstrators plan to march from Savidor station in Tel Aviv to Hostages Square for a large rally this evening, the Forum told media.
The Forum is directly appealing to Trump to finalise a ceasefire deal and return the hostages. Israel believes 20 hostages are still alive.
The five journalists who were killed in the attack include: Cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who worked for ; photographer Mohammed Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera, Independent Arabia’s Maryam Abu Daqqa, Moaz Abu Taha, who worked for NBC, and Ahmad Abu Aziz; a journalist with Palestinian youth news agency Quds Feed Network, who died from injuries sustained during the strike, the Palestinian government media office said. A rescue worker was also among those killed, health officials added.
In a joint letter to Israel, AP and Reuters said: “We are outraged that independent journalists were among the victims of this strike on the hospital, a location that is protected under international law,” it said. “These journalists were present in their professional capacity, doing critical work bearing witness.”
An Israeli military spokesperson claimed the army does not target civilians and that it has launched an internal investigation into the strikes.
Israel has attacked hospitals multiple times throughout the war, claiming that Hamas embeds itself in and around the facilities.
The assault came as Israel plans to widen its offensive to heavily populated areas, vowing to destroy Hamas.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has vowed to press on with the offensive against Gaza City despite alarm abroad and objections at home.
A sixth journalist, Palestinian correspondent Hassan Douhan was killed in a separate incident in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
More than 62,000 Palestinians have died since 7 October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Around 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in the October 7 attack, and around 250 taken hostage.
