Israel struck Nasser Hospital at least four times during its deadly attack in southern Gaza on Monday, an analysis of new video footage by BBC Verify has found.
The attack, which has attracted international condemnation and widespread anger, reportedly killed at least 20 people, including five journalists.
Initial reports from Gaza said that Israel had struck the hospital twice, with the first blast followed nine minutes later by another which hit first responders and journalists who arrived at the scene.
But new analysis suggests the hospital was struck four times in total. BBC Verify and expert analysis found that two staircases were hit almost simultaneously in the first wave, and while what was thought to be a single later attack was in fact two separate strikes hitting the same place within a fraction of a second.
Israel does not allow international journalists to enter Gaza independently. BBC Verify identified the additional strikes by analysing dozens of videos provided by a freelancer on the ground and material filmed by eyewitnesses that circulated online.
In the first incident, an Israeli strike hit the exterior staircase on the hospital's eastern side at 10:08 local time, killing journalist Hussam Al-Masri who was operating a live TV feed for Reuters.
New footage shows smoke rising and damage at both staircases, while emergency workers said the hospital's operating department was hit.
Roughly nine minutes later, while dozens of first responders and journalists gathered on the eastern staircase, Israeli forces struck the facility again.
While the blast was documented by media at the time, frame-by-frame analysis of newly emerged footage clearly shows that two separate projectiles fired by Israeli forces hit the hospital milliseconds apart at an exposed stairwell where journalists and emergency workers had gathered.
Experts disagreed on the type of munition used in the third and fourth strikes, with some analysts identifying them as Lahat missiles, a guided munition which can be fired from tanks, drones and helicopters.
Although the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initially expressed regret for the casualties, they later stated that their forces had identified a camera positioned by Hamas near the hospital, justifying their actions without admitting to multiple strikes.
Concerns have been raised regarding the legality of these attacks on civilians, emphasizing that such actions are prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention, particularly in a facility like a hospital where many civilians seek refuge.
This escalation forms part of a broader conflict that has already seen extensive casualties in Gaza since the violence erupted in early October.
