Dorothy Shea has supported IDF claims it was targeting Hamas in the attack, which killed at least 20 people, including journalists

US Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea has said Israel's airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday was justified because it was targeting Hamas terrorists. At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in the attack.

Shea told the Security Council on Wednesday that an investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) concluded that six Hamas members were killed in the strike, one of whom had participated in the October 7 attacks, and that the militants were using the hospital to monitor Israeli troop movements.

"We understand that Israel has expressed deep regret for harm to civilians," Shea said. "We note the prompt nature of this investigation and response and call on this Council to condemn the continued use of civilian infrastructure by Hamas."

Her remarks echoed a statement by Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, who said further details would be released in the coming days. "Our goal is to fight terrorists, not journalists, not anyone who is not involved in terrorism," he told reporters.

The Israeli military released a written statement on Tuesday naming the six Palestinians it said were killed in the strike, identifying them as members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, none of the five journalists killed were listed. The journalists had been working with news agencies including Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera.

The strike on Nasser Hospital has drawn international concern due to the civilian toll and the targeting of a medical facility. Israel has faced ongoing criticism over military operations in Gaza, particularly those impacting protected civilian sites.

READ MORE: Five journalists among 20 dead in Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital

The conflict in Gaza began after an incursion by Hamas into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Around 50 of them remain in captivity. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 62,000 people have been killed and around 156,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave since then.