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Reports indicate that three Palestinian journalists have been killed following an Israeli strike in central Gaza, according to first responders.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency in Gaza stated that the journalists’ vehicle was struck in the al-Zahra area. The deceased were identified as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Anas Ghneim, and Abdul Raouf Shaat. Sources suggest they were affiliated with an Egyptian relief organization.
The Israeli military has stated that it targeted “several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas… in a manner that posed a threat” to its forces. The military added that the incident is currently under review.
Separately, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that eight additional Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli artillery and gunfire across Gaza on Wednesday.
Medical personnel reported that three individuals, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli tank fire elsewhere in central Gaza. Reuters news agency also reported the deaths of a 13-year-old boy and a woman by Israeli gunfire in the southern Khan Younis area.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military stated that its troops had killed a “terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line and approached” them, without specifying a location. The Yellow Line denotes territory within Gaza that remains under Israeli control according to the ceasefire agreement.
According to the health ministry, at least 466 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the commencement of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10.
The Israeli military has reported the deaths of three of its soldiers in attacks by Palestinian armed groups during the same period.
The three photojournalists killed on Wednesday were reportedly working for the Egyptian Relief Committee in the Gaza Strip, documenting its camps for displaced persons.
A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization stated that the vehicle struck was marked with its logo and that the incident “occurred during a humanitarian mission, resulting in the martyrdom of three individuals”.
Hamas has described the strike as a “dangerous escalation of the flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement”.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate characterized the incident as a war crime and evidence of what it called “a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice, obstructing the transmission of facts, and concealing crimes committed against civilians,” according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Abdul Raouf Shaat was a regular contributor to the French news agency AFP, which expressed “immense sadness” at his death and demanded a “full and transparent investigation”.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also stated it was “appalled”.
“Israel, which possesses advanced technology capable of identifying its targets, has an obligation under international law to protect journalists,” said regional director Sara Qudah.
The CPJ has documented the killing of at least 206 journalists and media workers by Israeli fire in Gaza since the start of the war – the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented.
Prior to Wednesday’s incident, two journalists had been killed in Israeli strikes during the ceasefire, and a third had been killed by members of a Palestinian armed group, according to data from the US-based organization.
International news outlets, including the BBC, rely on local journalists in Gaza, as Israel does not allow them to send foreign journalists into the territory independently. Some journalists are taken into Gaza by the Israeli military under controlled access.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 71,550 people have been killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.
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