Hamas denies Israel's claim of targeting militants in the bombing of Nasser Hospital

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denied on Tuesday, August 26, the Israeli narrative regarding the nature of the attack on the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza, confirming that those killed in the bombing were not militants. This came in response to previous Israeli statements that announced the killing of six militants, but at the same time indicated the opening of an investigation into the deaths of civilians, including journalists.

The media office of the Hamas government issued a statement saying: "One of the six Palestinians that Israel claimed were militants was killed in the Mawasi area, a distance from the hospital, while another was killed elsewhere at a different time." The statement did not clarify whether the two deceased who died in other locations were also civilians.

For its part, Israel provided a different explanation for the incident, stating that the Israeli army's preliminary investigation concluded that the strike that resulted in the deaths of five journalists targeted a camera "placed by Hamas" in the area to monitor its forces.

A military official added: "The Israeli army needs to clarify several matters after investigating the killing of journalists in Gaza," noting that "the journalists were not suspected of being militants or being targeted."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously described the incident as "tragic."

For his part, the spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Thamer Al-Khaitan, emphasized in Geneva the need for Israeli investigations to reach "results," stating: "The Israeli authorities have previously announced investigations into similar killings," adding that "it is Israel's responsibility, as an occupying power, to conduct the investigation, but these investigations must lead to results."

Al-Khaitan stressed the need for "justice," saying: "We have not seen results or accountability measures yet. We demand accountability and justice." He pointed out that the large number of journalists killed during the Gaza war "raises many questions about the targeting of journalists."

According to the UN spokesperson's statements, at least 247 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023, and they are "the eyes and ears of the world and should be protected."

In professional reactions, global media organizations including Reuters, Associated Press, and Al Jazeera mourned the journalists who collaborated with them and who died in the bombing, which the Israeli army confirmed it would investigate.