United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a strong condemnation on Monday following Israel’s airstrikes on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The attack resulted in the killing of numerous civilians, including healthcare workers and journalists, individuals who were performing essential duties under already perilous conditions.
In a statement delivered by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres described the killings as “horrific,” underscoring the extreme dangers faced by medical personnel and journalists operating amid what he called a “brutal conflict.”
He emphasized that these professionals are not only indispensable to humanitarian response and public accountability but also protected under international humanitarian law.
Guterres reiterated the urgent need to uphold the sanctity of civilian life, stressing that all parties to the conflict must always respect and protect civilians, especially those engaged in life-saving and truth-telling work.
He called for a prompt, impartial investigation into the killings, demanding accountability for violations that target those who serve on the frontlines of care and documentation.
The Secretary-General further insisted that medical teams and journalists must be allowed to carry out their duties without obstruction, intimidation, or harm. Their ability to operate freely is not a privilege, he noted, but a legal and moral imperative grounded in international humanitarian standards.
This latest strike on Gaza’s largest functioning hospital, which reportedly involved a double-tap attack targeting both the facility and emergency responders, has drawn widespread international outrage.
Live on air… Israel bombs civil defense teams as they try to retrieve the body of journalist Hossam Al-Masri, killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital.
Ongoing crimes before the eyes of the entire world. pic.twitter.com/HUoPZQyzyl— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) August 25, 2025
It marks one of the deadliest incidents for the press in the territory and raises grave concerns about systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure and protected personnel.
Guterres’s statement adds to growing calls for an immediate ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access, and the protection of all civilians, particularly those whose work is vital to survival and truth in times of war.
🚨Closer footage leaves no doubt: the journalist is clearly seen holding the camera before being targeted by the Israeli strike. https://t.co/JDPU1cmzmE pic.twitter.com/XwdJQexTMA
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) August 25, 2025
In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron joined the chorus of international condemnation, declaring the Israeli strike on Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex—which killed at least 21 civilians, including five journalists, as “intolerable.”
In a statement shared Monday, Macron emphasized that such attacks cannot be tolerated under any circumstances and reiterated the imperative to always protect civilians and journalists.
The bombing of Nasser Hospital, Gaza’s last functioning medical center in the south, was executed using a “double-tap” tactic. The first missile struck the hospital’s fourth floor. Minutes later, a second projectile targeted journalists and rescue teams responding to the scene. Among the victims were:
- Husam Al-Masry, Palestine TV cameraman.
- Mohammad Salama, Al Jazeera cameraman.
- Mariam Abu Daqqa, freelance journalist.
- Moaz Abu Taha, independent journalist.
- Ahmed Abu Aziz, contributor to local media outlets.
- Mohammad Al-Habibi, sixth-year medical student.
- Emad Al-Shaer, civil defense firefighter and father of three.
Dozens more were injured, and footage from the hospital showed journalists standing on the stairs moments before the second strike. The hospital, overwhelmed with over 1,000 patients and only 340 beds, is now on the brink of collapse.
Two days ago, Palestine TV cameraman Khaled Al-Madhoun was killed in a targeted assassination by Israeli forces, following an attack on August 11th, when Israeli forces bombed the press tent at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza assassinating the most prominent Palestinian journalist in Gaza, Anas al-Sharif and a number of other journalists in a targeted bombing.
