Reuters, AP Demand Answers Over Dead Journalists
A Call for Truth: Reuters and AP Demand Answers After Journalist Deaths in Gaza
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – In a powerful display of solidarity and journalistic integrity, Reuters and the Associated Press (AP) have issued a joint letter to the Israeli government, demanding a clear explanation for the airstrikes that struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on August 25, 2025. The devastating attack resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people, including five journalists, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who risk their lives to report from conflict zones.
among the fallen were Mariam Dagga and Moaz Abu Taha, freelance visual journalists who had contributed to both AP and Reuters, and Hussam al-Masri, a cameraman contracted by Reuters.Photographer Hatem Khaled, also a Reuters contractor, was wounded in the attack.
The joint letter, signed by Reuters Editor-in-Chief alessandra Galloni and AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace, expresses outrage that autonomous journalists were among the victims of the strike on a hospital, a location protected under international law. The letter emphasizes the critical role these journalists played in bearing witness to events on the ground, especially given Israel’s nearly two-year ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza.
“These journalists were present in their professional capacity, doing critical work bearing witness,” the letter states. “Their work is especially vital considering Israel’s nearly two-year ban on foreign journalists entering gaza.”
While the Israel defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged conducting the strikes and stated they are investigating, the letter raises serious concerns about the effectiveness and impartiality of such internal investigations. “Regrettably, we have found the IDF’s willingness and ability to investigate itself in past incidents to rarely result in clarity and action, raising serious questions including whether Israel is deliberately targeting live feeds to suppress details,” galloni and Pace wrote.
The letter underscores the IDF’s duty under international law to protect journalists and civilians, and to take all feasible precautions to prevent harm. The fact that the hospital was struck, followed by a second strike while journalists and rescuers were responding, raises urgent questions about whether these obligations were upheld.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 197 journalists and media workers have been killed in the region since October 7, 2023, with 189 of them being Palestinian. This grim statistic underscores the immense risks faced by journalists working in the region.
Reuters and AP are urging