An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital complex has killed at least 20 people, including four journalists and multiple ambulance and civil defence crews attempting to rescue victims of a prior strike.

The blast was captured on video, showing ambulance and civil defence teams rushing to the rooftop and upper floors of Nasser Medical Complex, Khan Younis, to help victims of an earlier attack. The explosion struck the building, sending grey smoke and debris into the air. People were seen screaming and scrambling to flee the scene.

The strike employed a “double-tap” tactic, where an initial missile is followed shortly by a second strike targeting first responders and rescuers.

Mariam Abu Daqa (Associated Press), Mohammed Salama (Al Jazeera), Hossam al-Masri (Reuters), Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmed Abu Aziz were the journalists killed by the Israeli strike. Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was also injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mishap”, saying, “Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians.”

The Foreign Press Association condemned the attack, calling it one of the deadliest for international journalists since the war in Gaza began nearly two years ago, as per the BBC.

In March, Israeli forces fired on several rescue vehicles, including five ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle, in southern Rafah, killing at least 15 aid workers, including eight members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, five civil defence personnel, and one UN employee. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have called for independent investigations into these incidents, citing serious violations of international law.

Israel’s blockade of aid has worsened conditions in Gaza, leaving many dying from hunger and malnutrition. Doctors, aid organisations, and human rights groups have warned that Gaza is on the verge of famine. Last week, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed a fully “man-made famine” in Gaza’s largest city and surrounding areas.

Rejecting calls for a ceasefire, the Netanyahu-led Israeli government has continued airstrikes in Gaza since 7 October 2023, killing nearly 63,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.