At least three journalists have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. The attack, which took place on Wednesday, claimed the lives of three journalists, including a freelancer for Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Gaza Civil Defence Department confirmed.
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted “suspected operators” of a drone in the Gaza Strip. Since a fragile ceasefire, brokered by the United States, came into effect on 10 October, hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas have largely paused. Nevertheless, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
The Gaza Civil Defence Department reported that the airstrike occurred in the Al-Jahra area, located in the south-west of Gaza City. The bodies of the deceased were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
The journalists killed have been identified as:
| Name | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Salah Kashta | Independent | Local journalist |
| Abdul Rauf Shaat | AFP Freelancer | Not assigned to AFP at time of attack |
| Anas Ghuneim | Independent | Local journalist |
Abdul Rauf Shaat was a freelance journalist working with AFP but was not on assignment for the agency at the time of the strike. The Israeli military said that their forces identified several suspected operators of a Hamas-linked drone in central Gaza, though they provided no further details on what constituted a “Hamas-linked” drone.
The military statement asserted that the drone posed a threat to soldiers, and the strike was carried out with precision targeting the suspected operators. It added that the operation was conducted in accordance with an approved command chain and that the incident was under further investigation.
Earlier, the Gaza Civil Defence Department stated that an Israeli drone had targeted a “civilian vehicle” near Al-Jahra. An eyewitness reported that journalists were using a drone to document the distribution of aid by the Egyptian Relief Committee when the attack occurred, and the vehicle accompanying them was struck.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 466 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was implemented, reflecting the ongoing fragility of the truce and the severe humanitarian toll in the territory.