May 13, 2025 | BlogHear News Desk
A prominent Palestinian photojournalist, Hassan Aslih, was killed in an Israeli air strike on the emergency department of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to medical sources and eyewitness reports. The strike, described by witnesses as a drone attack, targeted the hospital’s surgical wing where Aslih was undergoing treatment for previous injuries.
Aslih had been admitted to Nasser Hospital nearly a month ago after surviving an earlier Israeli strike on the same facility in April. That April attack claimed the life of his colleague Helmi al-Faqawi and wounded several other journalists.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged carrying out a strike on the hospital, stating it was a “targeted attack on key terrorists,” though Aslih was not specifically named in the statement. The IDF alleged the hospital was being used by Hamas to “carry out terrorist plots against Israeli forces and citizens.”
Disputed Allegations and Reactions
Israeli authorities had previously accused Aslih of direct involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. However, Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, dismissed those allegations, calling them “false” and part of a “policy to discredit journalists.” He added that Aslih had no political affiliation and was being targeted purely for his media work.
“The occupation’s claim that Aslih crossed into the occupied land and took part in the 7 October incidents is part of a policy to discredit and fabricate that the occupation adopts to justify attacks on journalists and media personnel,” Thawabta told Reuters on April 7.
Aslih had gained recognition both locally and internationally for his extensive photo and video documentation of the ongoing conflict. His work included coverage of the October 7 Hamas assault, where he published several images and videos taken from inside Israeli territory. With over 500,000 Instagram followers, he was widely known for frontline reporting and sharing raw visuals of the war in Gaza.
Journalism Under Fire
The Israel-Gaza war has become the deadliest conflict for journalists in recorded history, according to a report by Brown University’s Watson Institute for Public Affairs. Since the October 7 attacks, more than 232 journalists have been killed in Gaza.
Aslih had spent years working as a freelance photojournalist, contributing to both international wire services and local news agencies. He was respected among peers and audiences for risking his life to provide firsthand documentation of the conflict’s human toll.
His death has sparked renewed calls from press freedom advocates for greater protection of journalists in conflict zones and transparency regarding military actions against media professionals.
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