NEW DELHI – India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made a sad remark on the recent Israeli military attack on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, which killed at least 21 people, including five journalists and four health workers. The attack was a “double tap,” which means that a second blast hit rescuers and journalists who had hurried to the scene of the first attack.
“The deaths of journalists are surprising and very sad. In response to questions from the media, Jaiswal remarked, “India has always condemned the loss of civilian lives in conflict.” He further said that India knows that Israeli officials had “already started an investigation” into the issue.
The journalists who died in the attack worked for international news agencies like Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Reuters, and the Associated Press. On the same day, a different event resulted to the death of a sixth journalist. According to several accounts, the most recent killings raise the total number of journalists murdered in Gaza since the war started in October 2023 to about 200.
The United Nations, the World Health Organization, and other NGOs that support press freedom have all condemned the incident and asked for a truce and punishment for attacks on civilians and journalists. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, called the event a “tragic mishap” and said that the military is looking into it.
India’s response shows how its stance on the Israel-Palestine issue has changed since the war started in October 2023. At first, New Delhi stood by Israel after the Hamas attacks, but now it has taken a more balanced position, advocating for a two-state solution, the release of all hostages, and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza.