The Israeli army said its initial inquiry into the strike at the Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip suggests soldiers had identified a camera which, according to the army, was positioned at the hospital by Hamas to observe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activities. 

According to an IDF statement, the soldiers decided to act against the camera, adding that while six of those killed were “terrorists,” the military “regrets” any harm caused to civilians. Israel’s claims cannot be independently verified, and the targeting of hospitals is a crime under international law.

The ‘double-tap’ strikes — in which journalists and aid workers were killed in a second blast after responding to the first — was condemned internationally, including by some of Israel’s closest allies.

Human rights groups have accused Israel of spreading disinformation to justify the killings of civilians, journalists and aid workers in Gaza. A report by the monitoring group Action on Armed Violence, published this month, found that Israel closes down or leaves unresolved 88% of cases of alleged war crimes.