New testimonies reveal that the Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in August, which the IDF said targeted Hamas surveillance, hit the camera of a Reuters journalist. The hospital was a well-known journalistic gathering point, and the IDF strikes killed 22 people, including five journalists
The Associated Press has gathered new evidence indicating that the camera targeted by IDF forces in the strike on Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip last month actually belonged to Reuters video journalist Hussam al-Masri. He was killed in the attack along with 21 other people, including journalists and other rescue workers.
Israeli forces struck the hospital, a position well known as a journalists’ gathering point, because – a military official said – they believed a camera on the roof was being used by Hamas to observe troops. The official cited “suspicious behavior” and unspecified intelligence, but the only detail given was that there was a towel on the camera and the person with it –which the army interpreted as an effort to avoid identification.
Al-Masri routinely covered his equipment with a white cloth to protect it from the scorching sun and dust, and witnesses said Israel frequently observed the position by drone, including about 40 minutes before the attack, giving an opportunity to correctly identify al-Masri.
In the weeks before the strikes, al-Masri had broadcast live almost daily from the hospital’s stairwell. Photographers and videographers used the building’s external staircase for months to get a bird’s-eye view of the city of Khan Yunis. The AP had repeatedly informed the army that its journalists were stationed there.
It is common practice for video journalists around the world, including in Gaza, to use such high positions and to cover their cameras to protect them from the elements. Five journalists told the AP that he often used the cloth.
Shortly after the first attack on the staircase, the IDF shelled the area again, as medical teams and additional journalists arrived at the scene. The attack appears to have used high-explosive shells, rather than more precise weapons that might have reduced the number of casualties.
The IDF said after the attack that the chief of staff had ordered an in-depth investigation into the process of approving the attack, its timing, and “decision-making on the ground.”
Attacking sensitive facilities such as hospitals requires the approval of an officer with the rank of major general, and the summary of the initial investigation presented by the army did not say which commander authorized firing the shells at the hospital. The army said that the investigation indicates that the forces acted to destroy a camera that Hamas had placed in the hospital.
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin said that “the IDF is making every effort to minimize harm to civilians, while maintaining the security of our forces. Any incident that raises concerns on this issue is handled by the relevant IDF elements.”
“As a professional army, committed to international law, we are obligated to investigate our actions thoroughly and professionally.” He said the IDF would present the findings of the investigation “with maximum transparency.”Send in e-mailSend in e-mai