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An Israeli airstrike on a press broadcasting van has killed five Palestinian journalists in Gaza, according to reports from the region on Thursday.
The journalists, working for the Palestinian broadcaster Al-Quds Today, were in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in central Gaza, when their marked press van was struck.
The van was positioned near a hospital in the area at the time of the attack.
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Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, citing a reporter in Gaza, confirmed the deaths, while the Israeli military stated that it had conducted a “targeted” strike on a vehicle in the Nuseirat area, allegedly containing a squad of terrorists from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group.
However, Israel’s statement did not mention the presence of journalists or the casualties caused by the strike. The military added that steps were taken to minimise civilian harm.
Both the information provided by Al Jazeera and the Israeli military have yet to be independently verified.
This attack is part of an ongoing pattern of deadly risks faced by journalists in Gaza, a region that has become one of the world’s most dangerous places for media workers.
A December report from Reporters Without Borders noted that a third of all journalist killings this year occurred in Gaza, highlighting the deadly toll the conflict is taking on the press.
As of now, at least 141 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The deaths of these five journalists bring attention once again to the perils faced by media workers in conflict zones.
