The United Nations has called on Israel to ensure accountability for its bombing of Nasser hospital in Gaza, which killed 20 people, including five journalists. Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday: 'There needs to be justice.' He noted that the high number of journalists killed in Gaza raised questions about the targeting of media workers.
The attack on Monday involved a 'double-tap' strike, where a second bomb hit the hospital 15 minutes after the first, just as rescue crews and journalists arrived to evacuate the wounded. The victims included journalists working for Reuters, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and independent outlets. The Israeli prime minister's office said it 'deeply regrets the tragic mishap' and that an investigation is under way.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military released preliminary findings, claiming the strike aimed to destroy a camera used by Hamas to surveil Israeli forces, and that six of the killed were 'terrorists'. However, the statement did not address why a double-tap strike was conducted on medics and journalists, or whether anyone would be held accountable for civilian deaths.
The UN spokesperson urged Israel to ensure its investigation leads to accountability, noting that past Israeli investigations into unlawful killings in Gaza have often been closed without resolution. A report by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) found that 88% of Israel's investigations into war crime allegations in Gaza were shut down or left unresolved, suggesting a 'pattern of impunity'.
Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals during the 22-month war, with the World Health Organization reporting that 33 of Gaza's 36 hospitals have been damaged. At least 247 Palestinian journalists have been killed, making this the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded. The double-tap strike drew global condemnation, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling it 'intolerable'.
