BERLIN, Germany - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he doesn't believe Israel targeted journalists in the attack on Gaza's Nasser Hospital earlier this week in which 21 people were killed, including five journalists, and over 50 people were wounded, most of them severely.

The Israeli army admitted in a statement it had tanks fire shells at the hospital near the roof where a Reuters photographer was filming the carnage taking place around Khan Younis.

The Reuters cameraman was wearing a Press vest and a Press hemet and was working from a usual vantage point that journalists had been using for the duration of the Gazan hostilities.

This photo was taken 4 weeks ago. It shows Hussam Al-Massri, the Reuters journalist in the same position he was in when killed on Tuesday. Photo taken by  Mohammed Al-Hadad.

Why the IDF used tank fire to take out a single person, who they say they suspected was a Hamas member spying on Israel's military activities was not explained. The attack which was followed by another in quick succession, killed twenty-one people, including 5 journalists.

In a separate incident in Khan Younis, another journalist was shot dead by Israel army soldiers, taking the death toll for journalists on the day to six.

Regardless the German chancellor on Tuesday defended Israel's actions, saying such events were 'consequences,' and in the weeks ahead they will continue to occur, and that this may be 'unavoidable.'

"I don't believe at the moment that this was a targeted attack against journalists. But the Israeli army and the Israeli government have both promised to launch a comprehensive investigation into this incident, and I would like to await the outcome before making a final judgment," Merz told a joint news conference he was hosting with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever in Berlin on Tuesday.

"But these are, of course, consequences of what the Israeli army began a few days ago and what the Israeli government decided just under two weeks ago. We must fear that, in the wake of the Israeli army's actions, we will see more of what has just happened in the coming days and weeks. This may be unavoidable," Mr Merz added.

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