BBC Verify's investigation reveals that Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, initially reported to have been hit twice by Israeli strikes on Monday, was in fact struck four times. The first two strikes occurred simultaneously at 10:08 a.m. local time, hitting both the eastern staircase (killing journalist Husam al-Masri) and a previously unreported strike on the northern staircase. Just nine minutes later, the eastern staircase was hit again by two projectiles almost simultaneously, resulting in the deaths of first responders and journalists. Munitions experts concluded the damage was consistent with a small munition traveling at a flat trajectory. Israel's statements regarding the incident have evolved from regret to calling it a "tragic mishap" and later claiming to target a "Hamas camera" without providing evidence, and they have not acknowledged the multiple strikes uncovered by BBC Verify.
Summary of Israeli Strikes on Nasser Hospital, Gaza
0:02 On Monday, Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, one of the few partially operating facilities, was initially reported to have been hit twice by Israeli strikes, reportedly killing at least 20 people, including journalists and medical staff.
0:14 A new investigation by BBC Verify uncovered that the hospital was hit four times, not two.
0:33 The first documented strike occurred at 10:08 a.m. local time, hitting the eastern staircase and killing journalist Husam al-Masri, who was operating a live feed for Reuters.
0:50 New footage obtained by BBC Verify shows that a separate, previously unreported blast occurred on the northern staircase at practically the same time as the first eastern staircase hit.
1:24 Munitions experts analyzing videos of the damage inside the hospital stated it appeared consistent with a relatively small munition traveling at a relatively flat trajectory.
1:38 Nine minutes after the initial strikes, the eastern staircase was hit again, targeting first responders and journalists who were on site and resulting in their deaths.
1:56 Frame-by-frame analysis of video footage revealed that this second strike on the eastern staircase involved two projectiles hitting within a fraction of a second, bringing the total number of strikes on the hospital to four.
2:18 Israel's statements regarding the attack evolved: initially regretting harm to uninvolved individuals, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "tragic mishap."
2:40 An initial inquiry by the Israeli military claimed they were targeting a "camera positioned by Hamas" but provided no evidence.
2:55 When BBC Verify presented its findings to the Israeli military, they did not offer additional comments and have not acknowledged the multiple strikes on the hospital, raising further questions.