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LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on Israeli authorities to guarantee a “complete” and “independent” investigation into the killing of five journalists in Gaza.

Israel struck Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and others.

Photojournalists Hossam Al-Masri, Mohammad Salama and Mariam Dagga, along with journalists Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz, died after an Israeli explosive drone targeted the medical complex.

“Israel’s initial report leaves many more questions than answers and does not explain why an Israeli tank fired on Reuters camera operator Hossam Al-Masri and the news agency’s visible, live-feed camera that had been filming from that location daily for several weeks,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.

“Nor does it explain why first responders — including other journalists — were targeted in an apparent so-called ‘double tap’ strike on the same location. The indiscriminate and disproportionate nature of the attack demand that this incident be investigated as an apparent war crime.”

A “double tap” is a controversial military tactic designed to maximize casualties by striking first responders such as medical personnel, rescue workers and journalists.

Reconstruction of the incident revealed that what was initially described as a second “tap” was actually two almost simultaneous strikes, both fired nine minutes after the first. These subsequent impacts appear responsible for the majority of fatalities

Following global condemnation, the Israeli military stated the back-to-back strikes were ordered because soldiers believed militants were using the camera to observe Israeli forces. Israel has long asserted that Hamas and other militant groups take shelter in hospitals.

The military’s chief of general staff acknowledged “gaps” in the investigation so far, including questions about the type of ammunition used to disable the camera. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the killing as a “tragic mishap.”

CPJ contested these claims, calling Israel’s explanation “incomplete” and “inadequate” given the scale of the tragedy. The watchdog also highlighted inconsistencies in statements from the Israeli leadership, including those from Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces.

The group warned that the lack of transparency “undermines Israel’s moral duty and obligations under international law” to protect journalists, adding that the incident reflected a “wider, deeply troubling pattern of lethal attacks on the media.”

“Our experience over decades is that Israeli-led investigations into killings are neither transparent nor independent — and in not a single case over the past 24 years has anyone in Israel ever been held accountable for the killing of a journalist,” Ginsberg said. “We demand a full, transparent and independent investigation to ensure accountability for this attack and any violations of international humanitarian law.”

The CPJ’s call for accountability comes amid a broader debate over the role of Western media during the Gaza conflict.

Reuters and the Associated Press have faced criticism for distancing themselves from the journalists killed by labeling them as contractors rather than employees — reflecting widespread contractual complexities in the industry. Critics argue this approach undermines the legitimacy of Palestinian journalists, who have endured a prolonged smear campaign by Israel.

Both agencies have also been accused of uncritically repeating Israeli justifications for the strike without sufficient challenge or contextualization. Fellow journalists have criticized the newswires for perceived hypocrisy, opportunism and bias.

Canadian photojournalist Valerie Zink resigned from Reuters after eight years, accusing the agency of “betraying journalists in Gaza” and “enabling the systematic assassination” of media workers. Zink stated she could no longer “wear this press pass with anything but deep shame and grief” as international criticism intensifies over Western media’s perceived failure to hold Israel accountable for atrocities in Gaza.

BEIRUT: A US diplomat apologized Thursday for using the word “animalistic” while calling for a gaggle of reporters to quiet down during a press conference in Lebanon earlier this week.

Tom Barrack, who is the US ambassador to Turkiye and envoy to Syria and has also been on a temporary assignment in Lebanon, said he didn’t intend to use the word “in a derogatory manner” but that his comments had been “inappropriate.”

Barrack visited Beirut along with a delegation of US officials on Tuesday to discuss efforts by the Lebanese government to disarm the Hezbollah militant group and implementation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the latest war between Israel and the Hezbollah in November.

At the start of a press conference at the presidential palace, journalists shouted at Barrack to move to the podium after he started speaking from another spot in the room. After taking the podium Barrack told the crowd of journalists to “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant.” He threatened to end the conference early otherwise.

“The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” said Barrack.

The comment sparked an outcry, with the Lebanese press syndicate calling for an apology and calling for a boycott of Barrack’s visits if none was issued. The Presidential Palace also issued a statement expressing regret for the comments made by “one of our guests” and thanking journalists for their “hard work.”

In an interview with Mario Nawfal, a media personality on the X platform, an excerpt of which was published Thursday, Barrack said, “Animalistic was a word that I didn’t use in a derogatory manner, I was just saying ‘can we calm down, can we find some tolerance and kindness, let’s be civilized.’ But it was inappropriate to do when the media was just doing their job.”

He added, “I should have been more generous with my time and more tolerant myself.”

Barrack’s visit came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese government’s decided to disarm Hezbollah. When, how and in what order the Hezbollah disarmament in Israeli withdrawal would take place remain in dispute.

The Israeli army on Thursday launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon that it said were targeting “terrorist infrastructure and a rocket platform” belonging to Hezbollah.