Eslaih was wounded last month in an Israeli attack on a media tent outside the same hospital. Eslaih survived, but suffered severe injuries, including burns, and lost two fingers. At least three journalists were also killed in that attack. Following Tuesday’s assault, the Israeli military said it “carried out a targeted attack” in “the area of the Nasser Hospital” where it claimed Hamas was “operating a command and control complex”. It did not offer any evidence to back the claim.In pictures: Scenes of the destruction in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis following the Israeli bombardment late last night in which veteran journalist Hassan Islayeh was killed while receiving medical treatment for previous injuries. pic.twitter.com/PQPdkTPuSg
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 13, 2025
The Government Media Office in Gaza has confirmed the death of Eslaih and said it condemns “in the strongest terms the systematic targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists” by Israeli forces. It said that Eslaih was “assassinated” as he was receiving treatment at the Nasser Medical Complex, and that his killing has raised the death toll among journalists since the war began to 215. “We hold the Israeli occupation, the US administration, and the countries participating in the crime of genocide, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, fully responsible for committing this heinous, brutal crime,” it added. Eslaih was the target of a months-long incitement campaign which started with Israeli media and online platforms. They accused him of ties to Hamas. One claim cited a photo with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Another alleged he carried a grenade on October 7, a claim unsupported by any visual evidence. Accounts linked to the Palestinian Authorities also took part in the Israeli campaign. Digital rights group Sada Social documented the incitement. Researcher Ibrahim Al-Hajj noted that these claims—though unproven—led major news outlets like CNN and AP to cut ties with Eslaih. Following the incitement campaign, Eslaih, whose house had been already bombarded, received waves of death threats online. Israeli users told him to hide. A former soldier from the extremist Netzah Yehuda battalion even wrote, “The missile is on its way to your head.” The digital incitement created a climate that justified his targeting. Press freedom groups continue to warn that journalists in Gaza are under direct threat. Eslaih is one of dozens who have been targeted since the genocide began.Journalist Hassan Islayeh was killed by an Israeli airstrike while receiving treatment at Nasser Medical Complex in central Khan Younis, southern Gaza. pic.twitter.com/vd5jXOTTYQ
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 13, 2025
