New Delhi/IBNS: India has called the killing of journalists in the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza "shocking and deeply regrettable", condemning the loss of lives in the ongoing conflict.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has underlined that the South Asian country has always "condemned loss of civilian lives" in any conflict.

Its statement reads, "The killing of journalists is shocking and deeply regrettable. India has always condemned loss of civilian lives in conflict. We understand that the Israeli authorities have already instituted an investigation."

At least 20 people including five journalists were killed in two consecutive airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza on Monday.

The journalists killed include those working with Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Al Jazeera, and other agencies.

The Israeli government has said the strikes were meant to hit the Hamas surveillance camera calling the incident a "tragic mishap".

The conflict in Gaza has become the deadliest ever for journalists, with over 247 journalists reported killed to date since the war started in October 2023.

Recent killing of journalists in Israeli strikes

August 2025: An Israel airstrike killed prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, along with colleagues Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, who were sheltering in a press tent near Al-Shifa Hospital. Israel accused al-Sharif—without credible evidence—of being a Hamas operative.

May 2025: Photojournalist Hassan Aslih was killed by a strike on Nasser Hospital while recovering from earlier injuries. Journalist Yahya Sobeih was killed in a bombing in Gaza City just hours after becoming a father, bringing the total journalist deaths to 214 at that point 

Background of the war

The ongoing conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

Israel responded with an all-out military campaign in Gaza, aimed at destroying Hamas. This has since grown into one of the deadliest and longest wars in Gaza’s history.