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International outrage grew Monday after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex killed at least 20 people, including five journalists and a firefighter, raising alarm among world leaders and human rights organizations.
The attacks drew strong condemnation from Europe, the United States, and international bodies, highlighting mounting global pressure on Israel.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Israel must guarantee the safety of journalists following the hospital attack. “We believe it is right to guarantee the safety of journalists, and it is right that journalists can also carry out their work in the Gaza Strip,” Tajani said, referring to last week’s joint statement by 27 countries on press freedom.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard on Monday condemned the strikes as “terrible news” and “unacceptable.” She emphasized that journalists must be able to work safely and reiterated the Swedish government’s demand for international media access to Gaza.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis,” stressing that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times under international humanitarian law.
European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib urged Israel “to stop the practice of killing those who are trying to tell the world what is happening in Gaza,” saying journalists, doctors, and rescue workers must never be targeted.
US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” about the hospital strike but added the conflict must end.
He suggested fewer than 20 hostages remain alive in Gaza and predicted the war is “coming to an end” within weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the Israeli attack “intolerable” and urged Israel to respect international law. He emphasized that journalists must report freely and warned that “reducing a population to famine is a crime that must stop immediately.”
At least 20 people, including five journalists and a firefighter, were killed in the strikes on Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Israeli army hit the fourth floor of one hospital building with two airstrikes, the second hitting as rescue teams arrived.
Media confirmed the deaths of Palestine TV cameraman Hussam al-Masri, Al Jazeera photographer Mohammad Salama, and photojournalists Mariam Abu Dagga, Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmed Abu Aziz.
The attacks were part of broader Israeli operations across Gaza that left at least 47 Palestinians dead and dozens injured in one day. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 62,700 Palestinians since October 2023, devastating the enclave and leaving it on the brink of famine.
Israel faces legal scrutiny for its Gaza campaign. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
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