Al-Jazeera: Two Journalists Killed in Israeli Gaza Strike

Two Al-Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in northern Gaza on Wednesday, the network reported. The casualties included correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul, 27, cameraman Rami al-Rifi, and an unidentified child. The blast struck their car in Gaza City, as confirmed by the Emergency and Ambulance Service.

Al-Ghoul and al-Rifi had been reporting from the Shati Refugee Camp, the birthplace of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed earlier that day in a strike in Tehran. Haniyeh had been in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

These deaths bring the total number of journalists killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict began last October to 111, including 106 Palestinians, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The other five journalists were two Lebanese and three Israelis.

The bodies of the Al-Jazeera journalists were taken to al-Ahli hospital. Anas al-Sharif, an Al-Jazeera colleague, reported live on the incident via phone. No further information about the slain child was available.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the strike.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for a thorough investigation and accountability for the killings, emphasizing the need for journalist protection.

The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate and Hamas accused Israel of assassinating the journalists.

In May, Israel closed Al-Jazeera’s offices in the country, citing a law that allows it to shut down media outlets deemed security threats. Israel claims the network has close ties to Hamas, which Al-Jazeera denies.

Throughout the current Israel-Hamas war, now in its tenth month, Al-Jazeera has accused Israel of targeting its journalists. In December, cameraman Samer Abudaqa was killed in a strike. Wael Dahdouh, the network’s bureau chief in Gaza, learned on air in late October that his wife, daughter, son, and grandchild were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Another son of Dahdouh, who also worked for Al-Jazeera, was killed in a strike in January.