Explanations of the Israeli army after the attack in which five journalists were killed. Witnesses' statements

The Israeli army transmitted in a statement that the double attack on a hospital in the Gaza strip, in which medical workers and journalists were killed aimed at a Hamas surveillance room, CNN reports.

Five journalists were killed by the Israeli attack on a hospital in the southern Gasa Profimedi

The consecutive attacks of Israel on Nasser Hospital Monday killed at least 20 people, including medical workers, journalists and emergency staff.

Israeli (IDF) defense forces said the initial investigation found that the Golani Brigade troops operate in Khan Younis, identified a room “Positioned by Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area, which was used to observe the activity of IDF troops, in order to direct terrorist activities against them.”

Israel did not provide any evidence in this regard and did not explain why the first attack was followed by a second few minutes later. The location is used by reporters and news agencies for live broadcasts.

The Israeli army also argued that the attacks killed six “terrorists”, calling those they consider militants, but without giving any other details.

Hamas denied that he had used a surveillance camera at the hospital.

“If this statement would be true, there would be many means to neutralize this room without targeting a medical unit with tanks.” said Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, for Associated Press.

Among the killed were five journalists: Mohammad Salama, a cameraman for Al Jazeera, Hussam al-Masri, who was a Contracting for Reuters, Mariam Abu Dagga, who worked with Associated Press and other publications during the war, respectively the independent Journalists Moith Abu Taha and Ahmed Aziz.

A hospital spokesman said four health workers were killed, while the Civil Defense Organization in Gaza said that one of his crew was killed.

On Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Office condemned the Israeli army and asked for an independent investigation on the attack.

“The killing of journalists in Gaza should cease, it should shock the world. Not silence, but action, asking for responsibility and justice“, Said the UN human rights spokesman, Thameen al-Kheetan. At least 247 Palestinian journalists were killed from October 7, 2023, he added.

In a separate attack, on Monday, another journalist, Hassan Douhan, was killed by the Israeli forces in Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian journalists' union, who said he was shot by the occupation forces in his tent. “

Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, European Union, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also condemned attacks.

Asked what his reaction is, US President Donald Trump said he did not find out about the attack, but that “he is not satisfied with him.”

Special US emissary Steve Witkoff later told Fox News that Trump is going to organize a “wide meeting” at the White House on the Gaza War.

Israel's statements, challenged

A source in the field of security in Israel told CNN on Tuesday that none of the five journalists killed was the target targeted. However, Israeli attacks hit a hospital balcony used by reporters to have a perspective on Khan Younis.

Journalist Reuters Al-Masri was killed in the first Israeli attack while transmitting live, Reuters said.

Hamas claimed that the room that Israel said was targeted was operated by Al-Masri, without giving details.

For several weeks, Reuters transmitted live from that location. The signature of Al-Masi is listed on the Live A Reuters transmission page on the day of the attack. CNN analyzed a live broadcast from Khan Younis, where the hospital, which falls during the attack period.

A second explosion, which targeted the stairs house, killed a few minutes later the emergency staff and ambulance crews that intervened after the first attack. Reuters reported that the other four journalists were killed in the second attack.

“On the stairs were journalists, patients, medical nurses, civil defense. We were directly targeted”, told CNN the journalist Reuters Hatem Sadeq Omar, who was injured and spoke from a hospital fair.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cataloged Monday, in a post on social networks, the death of journalists, medical staff and other civilians in the hospital a “tragic accident”. In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli army stated that he regrets “any damage caused to civilians.”

An Israeli official in the field of Security has previously told CNN that the forces involved in the attack were authorized to hit the camera with a drone, but they fired two tanks: the first to the room and the second to the rescue forces.

IDF said he would “examine more gaps” in the evaluation on the attack in additional investigations. This will include the examination of the “authorization process prior to the attack” and the “land decision process”.

“The chief of the General Staff emphasized that IDF goes exclusively to military targets”, concluded the statement.

The Israeli army has repeatedly bombed hospitals and medical units from the beginning of the war, despite their status protected from international law, claiming that Hamas uses complexes for military purposes.

Protests in Israel

The claims of the Israeli army about the attack were made public on the same day when the protesters from all over the country participated in what was called a “day of battle” to request an agreement of hostages and fire termination.

The organizers of the biggest rally, from Tel Aviv, estimated that over 300,000 people participated.

CNN cannot confirm this number independently, but the images in Tel Aviv showed the streets full of protesters who waved flags.

“If we didn't think we can make a difference, we wouldn't be here,” Yael Adar told CNN in the center of Tel Aviv. “We are the drops of water that minister the stone and, in the end, something will happen because we fight for our future.”

Adar's son, Tamir Adar, died on October 7, and his body was taken to Gaza.

Haim Weiss, a protester who traveled to the center of Tel Aviv in Beer Sheva, in the south of Israel, told Oren Liebermann from CNN that, in his opinion, Netanyahu's office is more interested in “conquering the gas” than in ensuring an agreement to take the hostages and an armistice.

“It is incredible what the government does so as not to bring back the hostages,” said Weiss, who protests three times a week for CNN.

“This government should deal with one thing: to put an end to this war and bring back the hostages.”said Weiss, adding that the war “brings a lot of suffering and death to the inhabitants of Gaza, to whom we are responsible.”

On Friday, the British newspaper “Mirror” published an open letter from 12 Holocaust survivors, who asked the Israeli government to act “immediately and decisive” to prevent hunger and protect civilians in Gaza.

“We support the right of Israel to defend their people. But this defense should not lead to the slow death of Palestinian children because of hunger,” is shown in the letter.

Although Netanyahu recently claimed that the negotiations for the liberation of all hostages and the conclusion of the war recently “immediately” has not yet responded to the most recent proposal to cease in Gaza from Qatarezi and Egyptian mediators, a proposal that Hamas accepted.

This proposal provides for a temporary armistice in exchange for the release of half of the hostages, but Netanyahu now insists that all hostages must be released. At the same time, he is preparing a massive attack and a takeover of Gaza.

Netanyahu's security office met on Tuesday, but sources told CNN that the meeting ended without major decisions or no revision of the current fire termination agreement. Another Sunday meeting will analyze the Government's plan to occupy the city of Gaza.

Meanwhile, the forum of the hostages and missing families said that the meeting at Tel Aviv has sent “a clear message: the Government must accept the agreement that is currently on the table”, it is stated in a statement.

“The whole nation requires the cessation of the war and the return of all hostages.”