BBC and AP Journalists Witness Israeli Strikes on a School in Jerusalem and a Hospital in Khan Younis

On Tuesday, Israeli aircraft struck a parking lot adjacent to the European Hospital in Khan Younis. As reported by the BBC, dozens of people were killed or injured. One of the network’s cameramen was caught in the blast. His name has not been disclosed for safety reasons. Fortunately, he survived—by sheer luck.

The Israeli military claims the strike was "precise" and alleges that a Hamas command center was located beneath the hospital. Army officials accused militants of "cruelly and cynically using civilians inside and around the hospital as human shields." Hamas has denied the accusation.

At the time of the strike, the hospital was sheltering families with critically ill children—some awaiting evacuation from Gaza, others hoping to reunite with children returning from treatment abroad. A BBC staff member was near one of the fathers who was wounded. In harrowing footage that followed, the journalist is seen helping and comforting the man’s frightened children.

Just before the airstrike, the BBC cameraman had been working on the story of five-month-old Sivar Ashour, who suffers from acute malnutrition. Her emaciated body and large, dark eyes have become a symbol of childhood under siege. Speaking to a colleague, the journalist said: "Sivar’s story broke something in each of us. It was one of the hardest assignments of my life. But I knew—her face, her name, and her story had to be seen, had to be heard."

Sivar’s mother, Najwa, recorded a video message from Nasser Hospital, where her daughter is being treated. "I want the whole world to know how much I love my daughter," she said. "I dream that she will get the treatment she needs, fully recover, and be the way she used to be—playing, growing, gaining weight like other children. She is my first child, and as a mother, I am devastated by her suffering."

The BBC reports that Sivar has developed skin ulcers and severe gastrointestinal distress. The main danger now is that her body may reject food. She suffers from severe allergies and can only tolerate a specific type of medical milk. On Tuesday, there was "cautious news tinged with hope": doctors at the Jordanian field hospital managed to locate a small supply of the formula she needs. Stocks are critically limited, but another shipment is expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of sick and wounded children from Gaza to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan continues. As the BBC reports, parents are subject to screening by Israeli authorities before departure. Several families are now in Amman, where the children are receiving treatment for injuries and serious illnesses.

Among them is Abdelrahman al-Nashash, who lost his leg in an Israeli strike. The BBC previously filmed his arrival in Jordan alongside his mother, Asma. They have now spent four months living in a safe place—with shelter and food.

On Tuesday, BBC correspondents visited them. Asma called her children and grandmother who remain in Gaza. The grandmother, Najwa, said: "Rockets are everywhere, flying over our heads. There is no food. Life has become unbearably hard. There’s no flour. Prices are insanely high."

The children waved to their mother and blew kisses through the screen. Later, Asma said: "I dream of going back and finding them alive and well." She paused and fell silent. As the BBC reporter concluded: "Only by looking through the eyes of a mother—watching her children from afar, scared, hungry, and trapped—can one begin to understand why anyone would still want to return to Gaza."

While some children live under the threat of starvation, others face the threat of gas and violence. According to the Associated Press, Israeli police deployed tear gas in the courtyard of a UNRWA school in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. The incident unfolded in full view of AP reporters.

During their visit, AP journalists witnessed a tear gas canister being thrown into a schoolyard where boys were playing. "The children scattered, coughing and wiping their eyes," the agency reported. Some tried to shield themselves with disposable masks; others pulled off their clothing.

Israeli police stated that the operation was triggered by stone-throwing but claimed the school was not their target. According to teachers, the use of tear gas on school grounds is rare, but regular raids have long disrupted the learning process.

Teacher Du’a Zurba rushed to check on her students. In an interview with AP, she said: "For us, the teachers in Shuafat, the top priority is the children’s safety. Every time a raid begins, we immediately close all windows and doors to prevent them from inhaling the strong tear gas."

"Our goal," she added, "is to make sure children always see the school as a safe place—so they remember there’s still a space where they are welcome."

As the past few days have shown, Israeli strikes are increasingly affecting not just presumed military targets but also hospitals, schools, and those trying to document what is happening. A BBC cameraman was wounded near the European Hospital while filming a story about sick and starving children. Associated Press journalists were caught in a tear gas attack while covering a report on Palestinian schoolchildren. These episodes speak volumes: it is not only civilians who suffer, but also the very possibility of telling their story.