Key facts
- Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Washah was killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza's Al-Bureij refugee camp.
- Three other Palestinian journalists, Mohammed Salah Qashta, Anas Ghneim, and Abdul Raouf Shaat, were killed in a separate Israeli strike in central Gaza.
- The journalists were reportedly working for an Egyptian relief organization.
- The Israeli military stated that troops struck "several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas."
- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the strike as a war crime and a systematic policy to silence Palestinian voices.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists noted Israel's obligation under international law to protect journalists.
An Israeli strike in central Gaza killed Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Washah, along with three other Palestinian journalists, in separate incidents on Wednesday. The journalists, identified as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Anas Ghneim, and Abdul Raouf Shaat, were reportedly working for an Egyptian relief organization and their vehicle was marked with its logo.
Al Jazeera strongly condemned the killing of its correspondent, calling it a "heinous crime" and a "flagrant violation of all international laws and norms" that reflects a "continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth."
The Israeli military stated that its troops identified and struck "several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas" in central Gaza, adding that the incident was under examination. The military also said troops killed a "terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line and approached" them.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate declared the strike a war crime and evidence of a "systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice, obstructing the transmission of facts, and concealing crimes committed against civilians." Abdul Raouf Shaat was a regular contributor to AFP, which expressed sadness and demanded a full investigation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that Israel, possessing advanced technology, has an obligation under international law to protect journalists. The CPJ has documented the killing of at least 206 journalists and media workers by Israeli fire in Gaza since the start of the war, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists on record. Before Wednesday, two journalists had been killed in Israeli strikes during the ceasefire, and a third by a Palestinian armed group, according to CPJ data.
Medics reported that 11 Palestinians, including two boys and the three journalists, were killed in separate incidents across Gaza on Wednesday. This brings the total Palestinian deaths in Gaza to over 71,550 since the war began, according to the territory's health ministry. The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The Israeli military reported three of its soldiers killed by Palestinian armed groups during the same period.