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Israeli strike kills five journalists in Gaza

December 26, 2024

Five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike that hit their vehicle in Gaza, CNN reported, citing a hospital and their news outlet statement.

According to the hospital, the vehicle, belonging to Al-Quds Today Television, was parked outside Al-Awda Hospital when it was hit. 

The television channel, based in Gaza, is affiliated with the Palestine Islamic Jihad group.

Other journalists at the spot said Ayman Al-Jadi, Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Mohammed Al-Lada'a, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali, and Fadi Hassouna were all sleeping in the vehicle when the strike hit, the report said.Footage of the aftermath showed the vehicles in flames with the words "TV" and "PRESS" in large alphabets visible on the backdoors. Another video seen showed that it completely engulfed by flames, CNN reported.

Al-Quds Today Television condemned the attack and said that the five people were killed "while performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty."

In a statement, the Israeli military said it conducted strike on what it called an "Islamic Jihad terrorist cell inside in the area of Nuseirat." However, it did not provide any proof for its allegations.The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based non-profit group, has said at least 141 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and Lebanon since October 7 last year, "making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.

"Of those killed, 133 were Palestinians in Gaza, who "face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict," CNN reported. Earlier this month, an Al Jazeera photojournalist was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. -- ANI
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