At least three journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Gaza’s Civil Defence authorities said, amid ongoing tensions despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
According to the Civil Defence department, the journalists were killed when Israeli aircraft struck the al-Zahra area, southwest of Gaza City. The bodies were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
The victims were identified as Mohammad Salah Kashta, Abdul Rauf Shaat and Anas Ghneim. Shaat was a freelance journalist who had previously worked with Agence France-Presse (AFP), though the news agency said he was not on assignment for AFP at the time of the strike.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces had targeted “suspects” operating a drone linked to Hamas in central Gaza. It did not provide further details on the nature of the drone or the alleged affiliation. According to the statement, the drone posed a threat to Israeli troops, prompting what it described as a “precise strike” carried out following approval through the military’s established command chain. The incident, the army added, is under review.
Earlier, Gaza’s Civil Defence said the strike had targeted a “civilian vehicle” near al-Zahra. A witness told AFP that the journalists had been using a drone to film the distribution of humanitarian aid by the Egyptian Relief Committee when the vehicle accompanying them was hit.
The incident comes despite a fragile ceasefire in Gaza that has been in place since October 10, brokered by the United States. While large-scale fighting has largely subsided, both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce.
Hamas described the attack as a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. In a separate statement, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate strongly condemned the strike, calling it part of what it described as a “systematic and deliberate policy” by Israeli forces to target Palestinian journalists.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 466 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since the ceasefire came into effect.
Source: AFP