Israel massacres journalists, emergency responders at Nasser Hospital as Gaza City assault intensifies

Israeli bombardment on Monday killed at least 19 Palestinians, including aid seekers and two Al-Jazeera staff, while the army intensified its attacks on Gaza City.

The staff were identified as photographer Mohamed Salama and photojournalist Hossam al-Masry, who were killed during the Israeli bombing of the Nasser Medical Complex.

Two other journalists, identified as Mariam abu Daqqa, who worked for The Independent and Muath Abu Taha, who worked for NBC, were also killed in the attack. The journalists were stationed at the hospital due to connectivity services amid the frequent blackouts and interruptions.

Later, a fifth journalist, identified as Ahmed Abu Aziz, was also pronounced dead after sustaining serious injuries from the Israeli attack on the hospital. 

A total of 14 people were killed in the hospital strikes, including patients seeking urgent treatment.

Dozens were wounded in the bombardment, including Hatem Omar, a photojournalist for Reuters.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health issued a statement saying the attack targeted the fourth floor of the hospital, while a second attack hit the complex just as ambulance crews arrived to retrieve the dead and wounded.

Staff at the hospital also told local media that the Israeli army used "unknown gasses" in their attacks, causing victims to be suffocated.

Meanwhile, the north of Gaza has seen another mass wave of displacement, with residents being forced to leave the temporary shelters and tents they have stayed in over the last few months.

However, reports state there are no longer any safe places to flee to, forcing the displaced to go to other dangerous areas where they risk being killed again.

Attacks on Monday also targeted the Al-Quds Open University, located in the vicinity of Hamad City, north of Khan Younis.

The Israeli army has since intensified its attacks on Gaza City, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to occupy the area.

Local media reports state that the army is implementing a plan which will see the population forced to the south in concentration zones.

According to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Israeli army has also employed the use of explosive robots, which have been used on Jaffa Street, located on the east of the Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City.

Israeli forces further targeted displacement shelters and tents, with bombs tearing through them and setting them alight. Footage circulating on social media shows tents burning in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City.

The latest developments come as the number of Palestinians who have died because of starvation caused by Israel’s restrictions on aid has topped 300.

At least 11 people, including two children, have died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours.

Doctors and medical professionals are grappling to deal with the surge in malnutrition cases, as they have no access to medical tools or resources.

International condemnation of Israel has grown in recent weeks, with the latest criticism coming from the Dutch Foreign Minister, who told Israeli media that Netanyahu is harming the country.

"As a friend of Israel, I believe that I must now warn that the military operation in Gaza City and the current actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet are harmful to Israel’s security - and ultimately to Israel’s identity," he said.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 62,000 Palestinians since October 2023, while over 157,673 others have been wounded in the same time frame. The war has been determined to be a genocide by the leading rights group, Amnesty International.