Palestinians say Israeli attacks in Gaza kill 11, including 3 journalists, 2 children |
Israeli fire killed 11 Palestinians, including three journalists and two children, in Gaza on Wednesday, local medics said, while the Israeli military said it had targeted “suspects” and terror operatives who posed a threat to soldiers.
One strike on a vehicle in the central Gaza Strip in the early afternoon killed three people, according to Arabic-language media, which identified the three as photojournalists Abed Shaat and Anas Ghoneim and correspondent Muhammad Qashta, who had been working to produce media content for an Egyptian governmental humanitarian agency.
According to the IDF, the strike targeted suspects who were piloting a drone that was “affiliated with the Hamas terror group.”
The military said the drone posed a threat to Israeli soldiers stationed in the area and as a result, an airstrike was carried out “in accordance with the required chain of command approvals,” but added that further details are under review.
The IDF did not say whether the operation of the drone constituted a violation of the ceasefire and provided no evidence that the aircraft or suspects were linked to Hamas.
According to Arabic media, the three had been filming an encampment established in central Gaza’s al-Zahra area by the Egyptian Relief Committee in the Gaza Strip.
A source in the Egyptian committee was cited by Qatari-owned UK newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed as confirming the reports and calling the strike a “dangerous precedent.”
The three were reportedly traveling in a jeep that belonged to the committee. Footage published by one Palestinian journalist indicated the jeep bore the committee’s insignia.
An Egyptian security source confirmed the vehicle belonged to the committee but gave no further details.
בעזה טוענים: מספר אנשים נהרגו בתקיפת רכב במרכז הרצועה, בהם........