Movies Contradict Israel’s Rationale for Lethal Hospital Assault

That is the second earlier than the Israeli navy killed a gaggle 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 beneath the legal guidelines of struggle. In whole, at the very least 20 folks had been killed, together with 5 journalists and 4 well being employees. The Israeli navy 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 might 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 places, together with this east-facing outside staircase, which has a view of town and has often 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 images, and frolicked collectively. The Reuters information company was working livestreams from that stairwell all through the week earlier than the assault. The Related Press additionally lately ran livestreams there. The primary assault killed at the very least 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 meanwhile of impression. Footage reveals 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 navy hit two separate staircases at a hospital after 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 indicate any sort 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 reveals a chaotic rescue operation on the stairway with no signal of a navy 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 a number of 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 known as the strikes a tragic mishap. In its preliminary inquiry, the navy 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 navy admitted to breaches of orders and dismissed one deputy commander, however nobody was held criminally chargeable for that assault. The navy declined to reply additional questions from The Occasions concerning the assaults on Nasser Hospital. The struggle in Gaza has been one of many deadliest trendy conflicts for each journalists and medical employees. [MUSIC]