Geneva/Tel Aviv/Gaza, August 26, 2025 — An international outrage has increased following Israel’s double-tap airstrike against Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza that claimed 20 lives (five journalists included), sparking both UN condemnation and hostage family protests in Israel.
An Extreme Double Strike Shocks the World
Israeli forces attacked Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis twice on August 25, first targeting its upper floors and minutes later striking a staircase where journalists and rescue workers had gathered. Both attacks caused significant destruction to parts of the hospital, while the second attack killed medics as well as media personnel responding to the scene, including journalists from Reuters, Associated Press, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye who responded immediately after. Within this attack were several journalists from each organization: Al Jazeera +11 The Washington Post +11 and Reuters +11.
United Nations Requires Accountability, Not Just Investigation
Thameen Al-Kheetan of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office demanded more than just an administrative inquiry: He stressed the urgent need for justice over media workers killed in Gaza, particularly given recent reports by The Guardian about these attacks on media workers being killed during ongoing fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas forces in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shared this sentiment when he described the strike as ‘horrendous.’ International bodies such as WHO, UNRWA, media rights organizations such as CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), The Guardian, EUobserver and Reuters also all called for impartial investigations that lead to real accountability.
Hostage Families Stage Protests Amid Rising Tensions
Families of hostages held in Gaza launched large protests across Israel on June 4, blocking highways and setting fires to draw attention to their cause. These powerful demonstrations near military and government buildings highlighted deep frustration with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s handling of negotiations; protesters accused authorities of prioritizing military action over relief efforts — particularly after bombing Nasser Hospital — intensifying civilian suffering – The Scottish Sun (AP News/Reuters) reported the protests were being staged.
Legal and Humanitarian Alerts Sound
Human rights groups and legal experts warn that targeting journalists and healthcare workers, especially via “double-tap” strikes, could constitute war crimes. International law protects hospitals and media personnel and attacks that target them risk undermining these norms and protections in conflict zones. (Wikipedia + The Guardian + The Washington Post).
People were alarmed to witness these strikes’ frequency against civilian targets and health facilities as an alarming breach of humanitarian safeguards in the conflict.
Regional Fallout and Urgent Request for Ceasefire
The strike prompted widespread international condemnation as well as grave concerns among diplomats and advocacy groups over an increasing trend of impunity and suffering in Gaza. Repeated strikes on hospitals such as Nasser has severely tested global goodwill and further intensified calls for ceasefire and hostages’ release, according to The Guardian.
There was some confusion regarding what happened next when they left for work, however.