Reuters,AP demand answers from Israel over Gaza hospital strike

Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni and AP Executive Editor Julie Pace on Thursday renewed calls for accountability on the one-month anniversary of Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza that killed five journalists.

"On the one-month anniversary of the Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, we renew our demand for a clear account from the Israeli authorities and urge the government to uphold its obligations to ensure press freedom and protection," the editors said in a joint statement.

The strikes killed Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, visual journalist Mariam Dagga, who worked for AP and other outlets, and freelance journalist Moaz Abu Taha, whose work appeared in Reuters.

"We remain devastated and outraged by their deaths," Galloni and Pace said.

They stressed that "the strikes that killed them occurred at a hospital, a location protected under international law and one that was widely known to be crucial for news coverage out of Gaza.

"These journalists were acting in their professional capacity, doing eyewitness reporting," the statement said. "An incident of this gravity requires a prompt and clear explanation, followed by accountability and concrete actions to ensure such attacks are never repeated."

More than 200 journalists and media workers have been killed in the region since Oct. 7, 2023, according to different media watchdogs, which the editors described as "an alarming toll that underscores the escalating risks for those reporting on the ground."

"We again call on the government of Israel to explain the deaths of these journalists and to take every step to protect those who continue to cover this conflict," the statement said.