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5 journalists killed in an Israeli air strike near Al-Awda Hospital

5 journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike on their vehicle near Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip

December 26, 2024 at 2:06 pm

Five Al-Quds Today journalists were killed in the early hours of today when an Israeli air strike struck their broadcasting van near Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, according to Palestinian officials and media reports.

Funeral prayers were held at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza for the journalists, with grieving relatives and colleagues gathering to pay their final respects.

The victims have been identified as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed Al-Ladah, Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan and Ayman Al-Jadi.

Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif reported that Al-Jadi had been waiting outside for his wife, who was in labour with their first child.

Footage from the scene showed the van engulfed in flames as civil defence teams worked to recover the bodies and extinguish the fire.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a vehicle carrying members of Islamic Jihad.

“Prior to the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weapons, aerial observations and additional intelligence information,” the military said in a post on X.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the deaths, calling for accountability.

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