Netanyahu regrets ‘mishap’ that killed journalists at Gaza hospital as world leaders condemn Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel deeply regretted what he described as the “tragic mishap” that occurred at the Nasser hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday (August 25, 2025).

An Israeli strike on Nasser hospital killed at least 20 people, including five journalists who worked for agencies including Reuters, the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

“Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

Two missiles hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, medical officials said. Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Abu Dagga, Moaz Abu Taha, Mohammed Salama and Ahmed Abu Aziz were the journalists killed. They were working for various agencies including Reuters and the Associated Press.

The Israel-Hamas war has been one of the bloodiest conflicts for media workers, with at least 192 journalists killed in Gaza in the 22-month conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Comparatively, 18 journalists have been killed so far in Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the CPJ.

World leaders react

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not yet received news of the strike but added: “I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it.” He said, “at the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare” in Gaza, where militant group Hamas is holding hostages seized in Israel.

In Israel’s staunch European ally, Germany, the foreign ministry said it was “shocked by the killing of several journalists, rescue workers, and other civilians” in the Nasser Hospital strike. “This attack must be investigated,” the ministry said on X, also calling on Israel to “allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza”.

U.K. foreign minister David Lammy said he was “horrified” by the hospital strike, while Qatar condemned the strike as “a new episode in the ongoing series of heinous crimes” by Israel.

The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem called for an “immediate explanation” from the Israeli military and called for it “to halt its abhorrent practice of targeting journalists”.

Investigation

The Israeli military said its troops carried out a strike in the area of Nasser Hospital and that it would conduct an investigation into the incident. The military said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such.”

In some cases, such as with Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who was targeted and killed by Israel earlier this month, Israel has accused journalists in Gaza of being part of militant groups. Israel’s military asserted that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell — an allegation that Al Jazeera and al-Sharif previously dismissed as baseless.

Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international media from covering the war. News organisations instead rely largely on Palestinian journalists in Gaza — as well as residents — to show the world what is happening there. Israel often questions the affiliations and biases of Palestinian journalists but doesn’t permit others in.

(With inputs from AP, Reuters and AFP)