Three Palestinian journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, first responders say.
Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said their car was hit in the al-Zahra area and named them as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Anas Ghneim, and Abdul Raouf Shaat. They are understood to have been working for an Egyptian relief organisation.
The Israeli military said it struck several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas... in a manner that posed a threat to its troops, adding that the incident was under examination.
Additionally, at least eight other people, including two children, were reported killed by Israeli artillery and gunfire across Gaza. Medics indicated that three individuals were killed by Israeli tank fire elsewhere, while a 13-year-old boy and a woman died from gunfire in Khan Younis.
The three journalists had been documenting humanitarian efforts in Gaza when their vehicle, marked with the relief organisation's logo, was struck. The incident has led to widespread condemnation, with Hamas labeling it a severe violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate called the strike a war crime, asserting it was part of a systematic policy aimed at silencing Palestinian voices and concealing crimes against civilians. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed that Israel has an obligation under international law to protect journalists, emphasizing the conflict as the deadliest for media workers ever documented.
Before this incident, two journalists had been reported killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began. The ongoing conflict, reignited on October 7, 2023, has already led to significant casualties, with over 466 Palestinians reported killed during this period.
