The IDF’s strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza on Monday, reportedly killing 20 Palestinians, including five journalists, has put Israel back at the centre of international attention. The reaction has followed a predictable pattern: a shocking video, immediate accusations of war crimes levelled against Israel, and near-ubiquitous international condemnation. But to understand what happened, and why the situation around the Nasser Hospital is so fraught, a longer and more sceptical view is required.
The first point that needs making is that the Nasser Hospital has not been a neutral space during the war in Gaza. In fact, it has repeatedly been abused by Palestinian militant groups. In February 2024, the IDF arrested more than 100 militants inside the hospital, some of whom were directly involved in the 7 October 2023 massacre. Weeks earlier, freed Israeli hostage Sharon Aloni Cunio told CNN that hostages had been held in the hospital. In April, the hospital’s own director of nursing, Mohammed Saqer, revealed in a since-deleted social-media post that Palestinian Islamic Jihad had threatened him after he reopened wards to the sick and wounded.
It is common knowledge that Hamas uses hospitals and schools as military bases, which is why Israel has had no option but to strike them at times. Mohammed Sinwar – who became the de facto leader of Hamas after the death of his brother, Yahya – was killed by the IDF at Gaza’s European Hospital in May. Nor was Monday the first time Israel has targeted the Nasser Hospital. In May, a strike on the complex killed notorious 7 October live-streamer Hassan Aslih, along with Ahmad al-Qidra, a senior Hamas militant.
The identities of some of those killed on Monday further complicates matters. Indeed, some of the journalists killed in the strike appear to have been members of, or have close ties to, Hamas. Mohammed Salama, a journalist for Al Jazeera, videoed and participated in the 7 October invasion of Israel that started the war. Mariam Abu Daqqa, who freelanced for the Associated Press, allegedly used her press credentials to protect Hamas fighters. Another, Ahmed Abu Aziz, openly celebrated the 7 October massacre. These connections do not necessarily justify their deaths, or even suggest they were knowingly targeted. But this does illustrate, once again, the way Hamas deliberately blurs the line between civilian and combatant, between journalist and operative.
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Author: Ruth King
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