TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his displeasure over an Israeli attack on a hospital in Gaza that killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, on Monday.
The hospital was hit with two separate strikes minutes apart, with the second explosion killing medical and rescue personnel who were rushing to help the victims of the first blast, according to hospital officials.
The journalists were killed while on assignment. The victims included Hussam al-Masri, a cameraman for Palestinian official television; Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelance journalist for the Associated Press; Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera; Moaz Abu Taha, a freelancer with several news organizations; and Ahmed Abu Aziz, a contributor to Middle East Eye. A photojournalist for Reuters, Hatem Khaled, who has extensively documented the fighting, was among those injured.
"I’m not happy about it. I don't want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare. I'm the one that got the hostages out," Trump said in the Oval Office when asked by a reporter about the attack, as reported by TIME and Anadolu.
Video of the incident, sourced from Egyptian television and verified by Reuters, showed the second attack hitting rescue workers searching for survivors in the rubble of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that 20 Palestinians, including patients, medical staff, civil defense personnel, and press crews, were killed in the attack, with several others injured.
Israel’s Response and International Reaction
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the airstrike a "tragic mishap," claiming that Israel "values the work of journalists, medical staff and all civilians."
The Israeli military acknowledged striking the area, with spokesman Effie Defrin stating, "We are aware of reports that harm was caused to civilians, including journalists," adding that the incident would be investigated.
"The IDF does not intentionally target civilians. The IDF acts to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible while maintaining the safety of IDF troops," he added.
Israeli media claimed that the IDF fired two artillery shells at the hospital to target surveillance cameras on the roof.
The incident comes just two weeks after Israel killed four Al Jazeera journalists in targeted attacks in Gaza City. The attacks drew condemnation from French President Emmanuel Macron, who stated, "This is intolerable: civilians and journalists must be protected in all circumstances. The media must be able to carry out their mission freely and independently to cover the reality of the conflict."
Escalating Casualties and International Scrutiny
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that at least 192 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with 189 of them being Palestinian. The Gaza Government Media Office provides a slightly higher figure, stating that 244 journalists and media workers have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023.
The conflict has been even deadlier for healthcare workers; according to the United Nations, more than 1,500 people have been killed in Israeli attacks targeting medical facilities.
Trump also commented on the hostages still held in Gaza, assessing that "a little bit less than 20" may still be alive, and "one or two are gone." He did not specify the basis for his assessment, which differs from Israel's previous statement that about 50 hostages remain, with 20 believed to be alive.
"When we get down to that final 10 or 20, these people aren't going to release them, because they're dead after they release them. So, it's a nasty situation, very nasty, horrible thing," he said.
While meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Trump expressed optimism that the war would end within two to three weeks. "Right now, they're talking about Gaza City. They're always about something. It's going to get settled. And I'm saying you better get it settled soon," he said, referring to Israel’s aim to occupy the city.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 62,700 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the besieged enclave, which now faces famine.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant last November on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a lawsuit for genocide in the International Court of Justice, and IDF data itself shows an 83% civilian death rate among Palestinians.
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