UN Calls for Accountability After Deadly Israeli Strike on Gaza Hospital

TDT | Manama

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The United Nations on Tuesday urged Israel to thoroughly investigate alleged unlawful killings in Gaza, following an airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis that killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, on Monday.

“There needs to be justice,” said Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesman for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. He highlighted that the high number of media workers killed in the conflict “raises many questions about the targeting of journalists.”

The strike sparked international outrage. Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera released statements mourning the loss of their reporters. The Israeli military said it would investigate the incident.

Kheetan emphasized that while Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for conducting investigations, past inquiries have yet to produce results. “We haven’t seen accountability measures yet,” he said. “These investigations need to yield results. We call for justice and accountability.”

Since the war began after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, at least 247 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza. Kheetan described journalists as “the eyes and ears of the whole world” who must be protected.

He also raised concerns about the timing of the strikes, noting reports that multiple airstrikes hit the hospital in quick succession. “One journalist was killed in the first strike, while three others, including a woman journalist, were killed in the second strike,” he said, calling the attack “shocking” and “unacceptable.”

Kheetan concluded that the deaths of civilians, particularly journalists, must be investigated independently to ensure justice is served.