Reuters and AP press for explanation after Nasser hospital strike

Two major news agencies renewed calls on Thursday for a full explanation from Israeli authorities over last month’s strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza that killed five journalists, as media organizations and press freedom groups pressed anew for independent access to the besieged territory and for stronger protections for reporters covering the conflict.

In a joint statement marking the one month anniversary of the strike, the editors of Reuters and The Associated Press said the attack, which killed Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, visual journalist Mariam Dagga and freelance reporter Moaz Abu Taha among others, "requires a prompt and clear explanation, followed by accountability and concrete actions to ensure such attacks are never repeated." Agency statements said 17 additional people were killed in the hospital strike. The editors said the deaths occurred at a hospital, a location protected under international law and long known to be crucial for news coverage from Gaza.

The Israeli military said it had opened an investigation and has maintained it struck what it believed was a Hamas surveillance camera inside the hospital, without providing evidence, and that journalists...