Shaun
The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday condemned the deaths of five journalists in Gaza during an Israeli strike on a hospital. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said that India is aware of the investigation launched by the Israeli government in the matter.
In response to media queries regarding the death of the journalists in Khan Younis, Jaiswal said, “The killing of journalists is shocking and deeply regrettable. India has always condemned loss of civilian lives in conflict. We understand that the Israeli authorities have already instituted an investigation.”
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s Nasser hospital killed at least 20 people on Monday, and among those dead were Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelancer and other outlets, Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera, Moaz Abu Taha, a freelancer who occasionally contributed to Reuters, and Ahmed Abu Aziz.
Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said on Tuesday, “We can confirm that the Reuters and AP journalists were not a target of the strike.”
The military said the back-to-back strikes on southern Gaza’s largest hospital were ordered because soldiers believed militants were using the camera to observe Israeli forces and because Israel has long believed Hamas and other militant groups are present at hospitals, though Israeli officials rarely provide evidence to support that claim.
None of the five journalists were among the six alleged Palestinian militant targets that the Israeli military named in a written statement, released on Tuesday. “At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff regrets any harm caused to civilians,” the statement said, adding that the Israeli military directs its activities solely toward military targets.
