Videos Contradict Israel’s Rationale for Deadly Hospital Attack

That is the second earlier than the Israeli army killed a bunch of journalists and rescue employees who had been responding to a strike at a hospital in Gaza. [EXPLOSION] It was the second assault on that location in 9 minutes, which was not solely a part of a hospital but additionally a well-established gathering spot for journalists. Hospitals, medical employees and the media are protected against assault underneath the legal guidelines of conflict. In complete, a minimum of 20 folks had been killed, together with 5 journalists and 4 well being employees. The Israeli army says it launched the assault to take out a Hamas-operated digicam used to trace its troops however didn’t present any proof of the kind of digicam in query, the place it could have been positioned or why taking out a digicam justified firing shells at a hospital and at journalists. [EXPLOSION] An evaluation of visible proof and photographs from the scene raises questions on what they had been focusing on to start with and why they launched a second assault that killed first responders and extra journalists. Israel first struck the hospital in two separate areas, together with this east-facing out of doors staircase, which has a view of town and has steadily been utilized by journalists, together with Mariam Abu Daqqa, an AP freelancer who appeared on this video from June. Journalists labored there, shot movies and photographs, and frolicked collectively. The Reuters information company was operating livestreams from that stairwell all through the week earlier than the assault. The Related Press additionally lately ran livestreams there. The primary assault killed a minimum of two folks, together with Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri. These are the final moments al-Masri’s digicam recorded. The image and audio freeze in the intervening time of affect. Footage exhibits the instant aftermath of the primary assault, which additionally included a strike on a second location across the nook. It’s unclear why the Israeli army hit two separate staircases at a hospital once they solely stated they had been focusing on one Hamas-operated digicam. Reuters journalist al-Masri’s digicam is the one one that may be seen within the rubble within the east-facing stairway. Visuals of this staircase after the primary assault don’t seem to point out any kind of surveillance digicam. Rescue employees and journalists rush up the steps. A number of first responders are carrying reflective vests. Right here’s Mariam Abu Daqqa once more and Hatem Khaled, a Reuters photographer. Khaled’s footage exhibits a chaotic rescue operation on the stairway with no signal of a army menace. Israeli troops fired once more — [EXPLOSION] — about 9 minutes after the preliminary assault. This second assault consisted of two projectiles that hit the identical spot inside a fraction of a second, killing most individuals on the stairway — [EXPLOSION] — together with extra journalists and several other rescue employees. AP journalist Abu Daqqa was one of many victims. Reuters photographer Khaled was injured however survived. Quickly after, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to as the strikes a tragic mishap. In its preliminary inquiry, the army additionally claimed six Palestinian militants had been killed and stated it’s additional investigating the decision-making across the assaults. The inquiry recognized the unit concerned because the Golani Brigade. It’s the identical brigade that attacked and killed 15 Palestinian emergency employees in March. The Israeli army admitted to breaches of orders and dismissed one deputy commander, however nobody was held criminally answerable for that assault. The army declined to reply additional questions from The Instances in regards to the assaults on Nasser Hospital. The conflict in Gaza has been one of many deadliest fashionable conflicts for each journalists and medical employees. [MUSIC]