Five Journalists Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza

Five journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit their vehicle in Gaza overnight, according to a statement from a hospital and their news outlet on Thursday.

The vehicle, belonging to Al-Quds Today Television, was parked outside Al-Awda Hospital when it was struck. The Gaza-based channel is affiliated with the Palestine Islamic Jihad militant group.

The five journalists—Ayman Al-Jadi, Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Mohammed Al-Lada’a, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali, and Fadi Hassouna—were asleep in the vehicle at the time of the attack, according to other journalists at the scene.

Footage from the aftermath, seen by CNN, showed the vehicle engulfed in flames, with “TV” and “PRESS” clearly visible on the back doors. Al-Quds Today Television condemned the strike, stating that the journalists were killed “while performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty.”

The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, claiming it targeted an “Islamic Jihad terrorist cell” in the Nuseirat area but provided no evidence to support its allegations.

This attack is part of a broader pattern of violence against journalists in the region. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that at least 141 journalists and media workers have been killed since October 7, 2023, marking the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began tracking such incidents in 1992. Of these, 133 were Palestinians in Gaza, who face severe risks while covering the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Al Jazeera photojournalist Ahmad Al-Louh, along with four others. The strike targeted a Civil Defense office in Gaza’s Nuseirat Camp, and Al-Louh was reportedly covering a rescue operation at the time. Al Jazeera condemned the attack, calling it a brutal killing.

The Israeli military confirmed it targeted the Civil Defense offices, claiming the site was used by Hamas as a "command-and-control center." The military also alleged that Al-Louh had ties to Islamic Jihad but provided no proof for this claim.