Hussam al-Masri
Hussam al-Masri was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on August 25, 2025, while carrying out his journalistic duties.
On August 25, 2025, Israeli forces carried out two successive strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Journalists, including Hussam, had rushed to cover the aftermath of the first strike, a common practice in Gaza where reporters document immediate civilian casualties and damage. As they gathered on the hospital’s exterior staircase, a second, more powerful strike hit the same location. Hussam al-Masri, along with four other journalists, was killed instantly in the blast. The Israeli military later claimed the strikes targeted a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital roof, but international media organizations, including Reuters, AP, and Al Jazeera, condemned the attack and demanded accountability, stressing that journalists were clearly marked and present in their professional capacity.
Biography
Hussam al-Masri was a Palestinian cameraman who worked as a contractor for Reuters in Gaza. Dedicated to documenting the war despite the immense risks, he was part of the small group of local journalists relied upon by international news agencies to show the world the realities inside Gaza. Known for his commitment to visual reporting, he contributed to frontline coverage under extremely dangerous conditions, often from hospitals and sites of bombardment where civilians and medical workers were struggling to cope with the ongoing crisis.
Hussam al-Masri lived and worked in Gaza, where local journalists often bear the greatest burden of reporting due to Israel’s restrictions on foreign media access. As a Reuters contractor, al-Masri operated behind the camera, helping capture footage that shaped global understanding of the war. His work, though frequently anonymous, was crucial to international reporting, as images and video feeds from Gaza were one of the few ways the outside world could witness the devastation. Like many of his colleagues, Hussam faced the daily reality of displacement, shortages of food, and the danger of constant bombardment, yet he continued to document the conflict. His death highlights the peril journalists in Gaza face, as the region has become the deadliest place in the world for media workers.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
His family joined broader appeals from the Foreign Press Association and media outlets demanding international leaders to step in, saying:
“Too many journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel without justification. This must be a watershed moment. We appeal to international leaders: Do everything you can to protect our colleagues. We cannot do it ourselves.”
Additional Information
Sources & References
“We are doing everything we can to keep our journalists in Gaza safe as they continue to provide crucial eyewitness reporting in difficult and dangerous conditions,” the AP said. Two strikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in quick succession, medical officials said. In videos, journalists and rescue workers can be seen rushing to the scene of the first one, before a massive explosion hits an exterior staircase where journalists are often stationed. In all, 20 people were killed, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s records department. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strike was a “tragic mishap” and that the military was investigating. “Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” his office said in a statement.1 politico.com Open source
The military said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such.” Israeli media reported that Israeli troops fired two artillery shells at the hospital, targeting a Hamas surveillance camera on the roof. Reuters said that ahead of the first strike, it was showing a live video feed filmed from the hospital when the feed suddenly shut down. The journalist filming the live video was killed in the first strike, Reuters said, citing hospital officials. Video obtained by AP shows people climbing the external stairwell of the hospital just after the first strike — and then the thundering boom of the second strike.2 apnews.com Open source
The latest deaths brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza since the start of the war there in October 2023 to nearly 200. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a leading body which promotes press freedom, the war in Gaza has been the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented. It says more press members have been killed there in the past two years than were killed worldwide in the prior three years. International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war. Some journalists have been taken into Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under controlled access, but international media outlets rely on local reporters for much of their coverage in Gaza.3 bbc.com Open source