Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Aug 25 (AP) An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza resulted in the tragic death of four journalists on Monday, including a freelancer affiliated with The Associated Press, as reported by health officials.
Mariam Dagga, aged 33 and a visual journalist, had been freelancing for the AP since the outset of the Gaza conflict, in addition to contributing to other news organizations. The AP expressed its shock and profound sorrow upon learning of Dagga's death, alongside other journalists who also perished.
In total, the attack claimed 19 lives, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, the head of the Health Ministry's records department.
Dagga, who has a 12-year-old son evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war, often stationed herself at Nasser Hospital, documenting the efforts of doctors striving to save children from malnutrition.
Al Jazeera confirmed that its journalist, Mohammed Salam, was among the casualties in the Nasser hospital strike. Meanwhile, Reuters reported the death of their contractor cameraman, Hussam al-Masri, and their contractor photographer, Hatem Khaled, was wounded.
The Israeli Prime Minister's office and the Israeli military have declined to comment on the airstrike.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has been particularly perilous for media personnel, with at least 192 journalists losing their lives in Gaza during the 22-month conflict, as per data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). For comparison, 18 journalists have been killed to date in Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to CPJ.
Except for occasional guided tours, Israel has restricted international media access to the war zone. Consequently, news organizations primarily rely on Palestinian journalists and local residents in Gaza to convey the unfolding events to the world. While Israel frequently questions the affiliations and potential biases of Palestinian journalists, it does not permit other media representatives to enter.
Journalists working in Gaza endure similar struggles to those of local residents, battling to secure food for themselves and their families as they cover the ongoing conflict.
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