Two journalists for Reuters and the Associated Press who were killed in an Israeli attack on a Gaza hospital were not "a target of the strike", a military spokesperson said, adding the army chief had ordered a further inquiry into how the decision to strike the hospital was made.
Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other outlets.
"We can confirm that the Reuters and AP journalists were not a target of the strike," military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told Reuters. Three other journalists were also killed in the strike.
Using its own camera equipment, Reuters has frequently broadcast a feed from Nasser Hospital during the war. For the past several weeks, the news agency had been delivering daily feeds from the hospital position that was hit.
At the moment of the initial Israeli strike, the Reuters live video feed, which cameraman Hussam al-Masri had been operating, suddenly shut down. Masri was killed in the attack.
Freelance journalist Mariam Dagga had been working with the Associated Press and other outlets during the war in Gaza. Source: AP / Jehad Alshrafi
"At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff regrets any harm caused to civilians," the statement said, adding the Israeli military directs its activities solely toward military targets.
'Several gaps' cited by Israeli military
The written Israeli military statement identified what it called "several gaps" that Israel's chief of the general staff had instructed be further examined:
"Firstly, a further examination of the authorisation process prior to the strike, including the ammunition approved for the strike and the timing of the authorisation," the statement reads.
"Secondly, an examination of the decision-making process in the field."
In a statement issued later on Tuesday, Hamas challenged the Israeli account of the hospital casualties, denying that any of the Palestinians killed were militants.
The Hamas government media office said in a statement that one of the six Palestinians whom Israel alleged were militants was killed in al-Mawasi, some distance from the hospital, and another was killed elsewhere at a different time.
The Hamas statement did not clarify whether the two men were civilians or fighters.
Moaz abu Taha, a Gaza correspondent with NBC News, was among the casualties. Source: EPA / Handout
In a letter to Israeli officials, Reuters and AP wrote: "These journalists were present in their professional capacity, doing critical work bearing witness. Their work is especially vital in light of Israel's nearly two-year ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza."
"We hope this probe will be quick, thorough and provide clear answers. These deaths demand urgent and transparent accountability," the letter stated.
Besides Masri, who worked on contract for Reuters for the past year, the journalists killed also included Mariam Abu Dagga, who freelanced for the Associated Press and other outlets, Mohammed Salama, who worked for Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist who worked with several news organisations including occasionally contributing to Reuters, and Ahmed Abu Aziz, a journalist for Middle East Eye.
Photographer Hatem Khaled, also a Reuters contractor, was wounded.
Reuters contractor cameraperson Hussam al-Masri was filming the live video and was killed in the first strike, the news agency said. Source: EPA / Handout
It said the troops acted to remove the threat by striking and dismantling the camera.
Reuters and other news providers often deliver live video feeds to media outlets worldwide during major news events, allowing them to show the scene from the ground in real-time.
Hamas criticised the statement, calling the accusation "baseless".
Israel "attempted to justify this crime by fabricating a false claim that it had targeted a 'camera' belonging to resistance elements — an allegation that is baseless, lacking any evidence, and merely aimed at evading legal and moral responsibility for a full-fledged massacre," the group said in a statement.
