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By Sunny A. David, Awka
At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, prompting renewed calls for accountability and peace.
Those killed in the attack include journalists Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Abu Dagga, Mohammed Salama, Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Media and humanitarian groups described their deaths as part of a growing pattern of violence against civilians and professionals in Gaza. Israel labeled the strike a “tragic mishap.”
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’ assault on Israel, Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. By August 2025, the United Nations reported 242 Palestinian journalists killed, while press associations put the figure at up to 274 the highest journalist death toll ever recorded in a single conflict.
Aid workers have also been targeted. Nearly half of the 383 humanitarian workers killed globally in 2024 died in Gaza. This year alone, at least 173 aid workers have lost their lives in the enclave.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Independent tallies estimate between 63,000 and 84,000 deaths. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, and widespread famine has left the territory facing what observers describe as a humanitarian catastrophe.
While Israel and its allies argue that military operations are necessary to counter Hamas, critics say the scale of destruction points to collective punishment rather than legitimate self-defense. Analysts point to decades of blockade, occupation, and lack of Palestinian statehood as deeper roots of the conflict.
The United States and other Western powers have faced criticism for continuing to supply arms to Israel while issuing only muted calls for restraint.
In response to the mounting crisis, Pope Leo has emerged as a leading voice for peace. Days before the Nasser Hospital strike, he called for a global day of prayer and fasting, repeating the warning first issued by Pope Pius XII before World War II: “Nothing is lost with peace. All may be lost with war.”
Observers say his message is a moral challenge to both Israel and the international community.
Catholic scholar Stan Chu Ilo described the war as not only a humanitarian crisis but a test of global conscience. “Gaza is where humanity itself is on trial. It is where God is on trial,” he said, warning against what he called “silencide” the complicity of silence in the face of mass killings.
Advocates are urging an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a peace process that recognizes Palestinian rights while ensuring security for Israelis.
“History will judge us—not by what we said, but by what we failed to stop,” Ilo said.
As international pressure mounts, calls are growing for governments to stop supplying weapons, for international courts to investigate possible war crimes, and for a just resolution that can secure peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.
“The world still has a chance,” Ilo added. “But it is vanishing fast. War destroys everything. Peace and love build up all peoples.”
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