Asian American journalists call for protection after Gaza hospital killings

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has condemned the killing of five reporters in Gaza and joined calls for international accountability following Israeli strikes on a local hospital earlier this week.

What happened: More than 20 people, including the journalists, were killed after Israeli forces repeatedly struck Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Yunis Monday morning. The five journalists were Reuters contractor Hussam Al-Masri, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Salama and freelancers Ahmed Abu Aziz, Mariam Abu Dagga and Moaz Abu Taha.

Advocates say the attacks followed a “double tap” pattern, in which forces strike the same location twice to target emergency responders. While Israeli officials claimed they were targeting Hamas surveillance equipment, surviving journalists at the scene reported that Al-Masri was operating the only camera visible at the hospital — Reuters’ live feed that had broadcast from the rooftop for weeks. A BBC analysis showed the medical facility was hit four times, not twice as initially reported.

Taking a stand: The AAJA issued a statement supporting calls from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for Israel to face consequences over attacks on media personnel. “We stand with CPJ and many others who have called for the safety and protection of journalists in Gaza,” said AAJA, which was founded in 1981 and has since championed “the development of AAPI representation and leadership in journalism.”

Nearly 200 media workers have reportedly died since the conflict began, with 189 being Palestinian journalists. CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah accused Israel of broadcasting its “killing of journalists” while international observers “fail to act firmly,” demanding an immediate end to the murders.

Why this matters: News organizations worldwide are grappling with the breakdown of traditional safety protocols as journalists face systematic targeting. Historical data shows limited accountability, with CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg noting that “in not a single case over the past 24 years has anyone in Israel ever been held accountable for the killing of a journalist.”

The crisis threatens independent war reporting amid broader calls for ending the conflict, which has resulted in a famine. “These conditions will only be worsened if the Israeli military seeks to further occupy Gaza,” Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) commented last week. “The time is now to stop the hunger and this conflict.”

For now, Israeli commanders have launched an internal review examining “several gaps” in strike authorization procedures, though previous investigations have yielded no prosecutions.