Three Palestinian journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, first responders say.
Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported that their car was hit in the al-Zahra area and identified the deceased as Mohammed Salah Qeshta, Anas Ghunaim, and Abdul Raouf Shaath. They were understood to be working for an Egyptian relief organization.
The Israeli military stated it targeted several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas... posing a threat to its forces and noted the incident is under investigation.
In a further escalation of violence, eight others, including two children, were reported killed by Israeli artillery and fire across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Medics detailed that three individuals, including a 10-year-old boy, were deceased due to Israeli tank fire in central Gaza, alongside another 13-year-old boy and a woman killed by gunfire in Khan Younis.
According to reports, the three photojournalists killed were contributing regularly to the French news agency AFP while documenting humanitarian efforts for displaced individuals in Gaza. The Egyptian Relief Committee condemned the strike as a targeted attack on a humanitarian mission.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate deemed the incident a war crime, asserting it reflects a broader strategy to silence Palestinian voices and obscure the realities faced by civilians. With this incident, the total number of journalists killed by Israeli fire during the ongoing conflict has risen to 206, marking it as one of the deadliest periods for journalists ever documented.
The war, ignited by a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, has led to the loss of over 71,550 lives in Gaza, raising urgent calls for accountability and protection of civilians.
