The Israeli military has not provided a timeline or specific details regarding an investigation into a 2025 strike that killed 22 people at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, including two journalists. The Aug. 25, 2025, incident involved four high-explosive tank shells hitting the facility, which was one of the few functional hospitals in the region at the time. Israeli officials initially stated the target was a camera on the roof allegedly used by Hamas, but a soldier privy to military discussions has since disputed that a link to the group was found.
The strike occurred in two stages. The first hit killed Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and one other person. As rescue workers and other journalists, including The Associated Press visual journalist Mariam Dagga, moved to the scene to assist, the military struck again, killing an additional 20 people. The Israeli military later claimed six of the deceased were linked to Hamas but did not provide evidence. The Associated Press reported that one of those named was not on the hospital's casualty list, while two others were emergency personnel.
An anonymous Israeli soldier, speaking through the veteran group Breaking the Silence, stated the military could find no evidence linking al-Masri’s camera to Hamas and that none of the six people identified as Hamas-linked were the intended targets. The soldier and a former official said a commander approved tank rounds after a drone attempt failed. The military told the AP by text that the incident is being examined and findings will be sent to the Military Advocate General’s Corps to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted.
The scale of the incident involves 22 deaths from a single double-strike event, occurring amid a wider conflict where rights groups like Breaking the Silence allege a "near automatic" process of labeling unarmed casualties as militants to avoid prosecution. For the families of the 22 killed, the lack of transparency means a continued wait for legal closure and potential compensation or accountability. On a broader level, the precedent set by this case will influence how international news organizations like Reuters and the AP, which frequently inform the military of their staff locations, manage the risk to their employees.
A person in Gaza would notice the concrete impact of these strikes through the degradation of hospital infrastructure and the reduced presence of first responders who may fear "double tap" strikes—a second attack hitting those aiding the initial victims. While the Israeli military recently opened criminal investigations into two other high-profile incidents involving the deaths of a 5-year-old and 15 paramedics, it has cleared troops in three other cases involving international aid groups. A final decision from the Military Advocate General’s Corps on whether to pursue criminal charges for the Nasser Hospital strike has no set deadline.