4 days ago
Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills three journalists
LONDON: Three journalists were killed and four others injured in an Israeli strike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital's courtyard in central Gaza, drawing condemnations from media rights groups.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said the attack struck a media tent and identified the victims as Ismail Badah, a cameraman for Palestine Today TV channel, which is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group; Soliman Hajaj, a Palestine Today editor; and Samir A-Refai of the Shams News network.
The strike injured 30 others, including four journalists. Among them were Imad Daloul, a correspondent for Palestine Today, and Ahmed Qalja, a cameraman for Qatar-based Al-Araby TV, both are reported to be in critical condition.
The syndicate accused Israel of 'a full-fledged war crime' that 'reflects a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian narrative.' It said that targeting journalists 'within the grounds of a hospital constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.'
The Israeli military said in a statement that the strike targeted 'an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was operating in a command-and-control center' in the hospital's yard, without providing details or evidence.
In a statement on Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack, calling for international action to stop Israel from targeting journalists 'based on unsubstantiated terrorism claims.'
CPJ regional director Sara Qudah said: 'These are not isolated incidents, but systematic attacks by Israel on the media. This disturbing and deliberate pattern must end.
'The killing of journalists in a hospital courtyard on the holy day of Yawm Al-Arafah — preceding Eid Al-Adha — underscores the relentless dangers facing the media in Gaza.'
