At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in an Israeli attack on a hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, the civil protection agency said.

 "The attack on Nasir Hospital in Khan Yunis in the south has killed 20 people, including five journalists and a member of civil security," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the civil security agency in Gaza. According to the media monitoring organization, more than 190 journalists have been killed in the 22-month war between Israel and Hamas.

The spokesperson of the Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera said on Monday that one of its photojournalist and cameraman Mohammad Salama was killed in the attack. "Al Jazeera Media Network condemns this heinous crime in the strongest possible terms." "The military has directly targeted and killed journalists as part of a planned campaign to silence the truth," Al Jazeera said.

Smoke was seen in the footage after the first attack . Another attack happened when a doctor in the video was picking up blood-soaked clothes to show reporters . His colleague Hussam al-Masri was killed in the attack, a confirmed by Reuters. He was broadcasting live on TV from the roof of a building, which was closed after the first attack . According to eyewitnesses, rescue workers and journalists arrived at the site of the first attack when the second attack took place . The Reuters spokesperson mentioned that he was saddened by the death of his colleague and said that Hatem Khalid of Reuters was injured in the same attack. "We are urgently asking for more information, asking the authorities in Gaza and Israel to provide immediate medical assistance for Hatem," a Reuters spokesman said in a statement. The American news organization Associated Press (AP) also released a statement saying that the news of the death of 33-year-old photojournalist Mariam Dagga made them shocked and sad. Earlier, issuing a statement, it was mentioned that when Dagga was killed, he was not in any position in the agency.

The "Palestinian Journalist Syndicate" mentioned that the other two dead were Middle East Eye journalists Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz. According to the AFP correspondent, Abu Taha had been working for some Palestinian and international publications. Due to the restrictions imposed on the media in Gaza and the difficulty of access to many areas, it is forced to rely on the numbers and details provided by the Civil Defense Agency or the Israeli army .

The Israeli army also issued a statement on Monday and confirmed that its forces attacked the Nasir Hospital area of ​​Khan Younis. "The chief of the Israeli army has ordered a preliminary investigation as soon as possible," the statement issued by the army said, "the Israeli army expresses its regret if there is any kind of damage to people who are not involved with the militant group, and Israel has no policy of targeting journalists."