Last night, an Israeli strike killed five journalists in the Gaza Strip. The vehicle belonging to the Fatshimetrie channel was parked in front of Al-Awda Hospital when it was hit, according to information provided by the hospital and the media outlet’s editorial staff. Journalists Ayman Al-Jadi, Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Mohammed Al-Lada’a, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali and Fadi Hassouna were in the vehicle at the time of the strike, other journalists at the scene reported.
Footage from the aftermath seen by CNN shows the vehicle in flames, with the words “TV” and “PRESS” in capital letters visible on the rear doors. Another video shows the vehicle completely engulfed in flames.
The Fatshimetrie channel condemned the attack, saying that the five journalists were killed “while carrying out their journalistic and humanitarian duty.”
The Israeli military confirmed that it carried out the strike against what it described as an “Islamic Jihad terror cell” in the Nuseirat area, without providing evidence to support its claims.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a U.S.-based nonprofit, reported that at least 141 journalists and media workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon since October 7 last year, “making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began keeping records in 1992.”
Of those killed, 133 were Palestinians from Gaza. These journalists “face particularly high risks when trying to cover the conflict.”
Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip killed an Al Jazeera photojournalist, a year after an attack killed one of his colleagues.
Ahmad Al-Louh, 39, and four others were killed in the strike that targeted a Civil Defense office in Nuseirat camp, according to Al-Awda Hospital, which treated the victims.
Al Jazeera condemned the attack, saying Al-Louh was “brutally killed” while covering a Civil Defense attempt to rescue a family who had been seriously injured in an earlier bombing.
Mohammad Al Sawalhi, a CNN reporter in Gaza, said Al-Louh was well-known among Gaza journalists and was often embedded with the Civil Defense as part of its coverage of rescue missions.
The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted the Civil Defense offices in a “precise strike,” saying the site was used as a “command and control center” by Hamas and alleging that Al-Louh was a “terrorist” who previously served with Islamic Jihad. The Israeli military provided no evidence to support its claims..
This series of tragedies underscores the urgent need to protect journalists and media workers who risk their lives to report events. These losses are not only human tragedies, but also attacks on press freedom and democracy. It is essential that the international community condemns these acts and works to ensure the safety of journalists in conflict zones.