BBC Cameraman Injured Filming Israeli Strike On Gaza Hospital
The conflict in Gaza continues to bring unimaginable pain and destruction. On Tuesday, a BBC cameraman became one of the many victims of the war, narrowly escaping serious injury when Israeli airstrikes hit the car park of the European Hospital in Khan Younis. The attack killed and wounded dozens, including civilians waiting to evacuate or reunite with sick children.
For security reasons, the BBC has chosen not to disclose the name of the cameraman. He had been working tirelessly to document the suffering of children in Gaza. At the time of the strike, he was filming families who were either preparing to leave the area for medical evacuation or waiting to welcome their children returning from treatment abroad.
The Israeli military later stated that the hospital was targeted because a Hamas leader was allegedly hiding beneath the facility. According to the army, the airstrike was a “precise” operation against a Hamas command center. Israel accused Hamas of placing military infrastructure among civilians, calling it a “cruel and cynical” tactic. However, Hamas has denied these claims.
One of the fathers, who was standing beside the BBC cameraman during the attack, was injured but has since been discharged. A heart-wrenching image from the scene shows the BBC journalist comforting the man’s children, who were visibly terrified after the explosions.
Before the bombing, the cameraman had been documenting the story of malnourished children in Gaza. One such story that moved him deeply was that of five-month-old Siwar Ashour. Siwar, with her large brown eyes and frail body, suffers from severe malnutrition. Her body cannot tolerate regular formula due to multiple allergies. She is also battling a painful skin infection and a severe digestive illness.
The BBC had recently featured Siwar’s story, filmed by this same cameraman. In a message to a colleague, he wrote, “Siwar’s story broke something in all of us. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But her face and her story needed to be seen.”
Siwar’s mother, Najwa, sent a message from Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, saying, “I wish my daughter could receive proper treatment. I want her to grow, play, and live like other children. She is my first child. I am broken.”
There was a small glimmer of hope on Tuesday. Doctors at a Jordanian Field Hospital managed to locate a limited amount of the special formula Siwar needs. More is expected soon.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to evacuate critically ill children from Gaza to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. One family currently living in safety in Amman includes Abdelrahman al-Nashash, a child who lost his leg in a previous Israeli strike, and his mother Asma. Though safe, Asma’s other children remain trapped in Gaza with their grandmother.
During a video call with her children, Asma watched as they blew kisses and smiled through the screen. But when the call ended, her emotions overwhelmed her. “I want to go back and see them alive and well. I thank my mother for all she’s doing,” she said tearfully.
This war continues to separate families and shatter lives. Through the lens of journalists like the injured BBC cameraman, the world is given a rare, raw look at the human cost of the conflict.
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