Silencing the truth: Hassan Islayeh, prominent Gaza journalist killed in Israeli hospital strike

Islayeh, a prominent field reporter and director of the Alam24 news agency, had been recovering from injuries sustained in a previous Israeli air strike last month that targeted a media tent near the same hospital.

That attack killed two journalists and wounded several others. The earlier strike appeared to target Islayeh directly, hitting his mobile phone, but he survived the incident.

Local media described Tuesday’s attack as a “deliberate assassination,” noting that he was struck again while being treated in the hospital’s burns unit.

Islayeh had long faced incitement in Israeli media, largely due to his frontline coverage of the Hamas-led 7 October attacks on Israel.

Israeli outlets have labelled him as being affiliated with Hamas, though no evidence has been provided to support those claims.

“With deep sorrow and sympathy, Alem24 News Agency mourns the loss of its director, journalist Hassan Abdel Fattah Islayeh, following his martyrdom in an Israeli air strike that targeted Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis just moments ago,” the outlet said.

As a seasoned field reporter, Islayeh had become a mentor and an influential figure for aspiring journalists.

Ahmed Aziz, a contributor to Middle East Eye, said that Islayeh's influence on him was immeasurable. "He was always one of those who took the initiative to help his colleagues, providing them with materials, recommending names, and suggesting places where we could go to film," Aziz told MEE.

He added that Islayeh was fully aware of the risks to his life and only hoped that his death wouldn’t lead to the loss of other journalists around him.

Additionally, Islayeh had been providing monthly financial support to the families of two media workers killed in last month's strike, which appeared to target him, according to Aziz.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health condemned the “heinous crime” of targeting patients in the Khan Younis hospital.

“The repeated targeting of hospitals, including the pursuit and killing of the wounded inside treatment rooms, is a clear indication of the occupation’s deliberate intent to inflict maximum damage on the healthcare system,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Such attacks also jeopardise the chances of treatment for the wounded and sick—even as they lie in hospital beds.”

Islayeh became the 215th journalist to be killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since the war began, according to the Gaza-based government media office.

The Israeli war on Gaza has been described by monitoring groups as the "worst-ever conflict" for journalists, due to the record number of journalists killed.

“This double crime reflects a deliberate insistence on targeting Palestinian journalists - not only in the field, but even in hospitals while they are receiving treatment,” the media office said in a statement.

“It is a flagrant violation of all human values and international agreements and represents a clear attempt to silence the free voice and suppress the truth.”

The Israeli military has frequently justified its attacks on civilian sites in Gaza, including hospitals, by alleging that Hamas uses them for military operations.

In March, a drone strike hit the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing five people and setting the emergency department on fire.

Israel claimed the strike targeted Hamas official Issam Da’alis, who was receiving treatment at the hospital at the time.

As of April, repeated Israeli attacks have forced 27 hospitals across the Gaza Strip to shut down, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

At least 1,192 healthcare workers have been killed by Israeli forces, either in air strikes, in detention, or through targeted killings, including 96 doctors.

Overall, Israeli forces have killed more than 52,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, including at least 15,000 children. 

An estimated 10,000 more people are missing and presumed dead, while nearly 120,000 have been wounded.