Israeli gunfire resulted in the deaths of 11 Palestinians, including two children and three journalists, in separate incidents in Gaza on Wednesday, as reported by local medics. This violence has disrupted a three-month ceasefire in the war-torn region.
Palestinian health officials stated that an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists who were in a car on assignment to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza. Additionally, three individuals, including a 10-year-old boy, were reportedly killed by Israeli tank shelling in central Gaza. Two more individuals, including a 13-year-old boy, lost their lives in two separate Israeli shooting incidents in Khan Younis in the south, according to medics.
The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that a total of 11 Palestinians were killed in various Israeli attacks throughout the day. Israel’s military responded to the incident involving the journalists by stating that troops had identified individuals operating a drone linked to Hamas in central Gaza. The military claimed to have targeted these suspects due to the threat posed by the drone to their troops.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate expressed that the journalists killed were on a humanitarian mission to document the plight of civilians in displacement camps. Emad Abu Shawish, a freelance journalist present at the scene, criticized the targeting of the journalists without prior warning.
An Egyptian security source verified that the journalists were documenting the work of the Egyptian committee in a newly established camp in central Gaza. The committee’s spokesman mentioned that the strike occurred near the Israeli-controlled area, about five kilometers away.
Since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, the Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded 206 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for violating the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire has only reached the first phase, and the implementation of subsequent phases remains uncertain.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem acknowledged the group’s efforts to locate the remains of the last Israeli hostage but blamed Israeli military interference for their inability to retrieve the body. The ongoing clashes have resulted in the deaths of over 460 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers since the ceasefire commenced.
The conflict escalated after a Hamas-led cross-border attack in October 2023 prompted Israel to launch an air and ground offensive in Gaza. The toll on civilians has been devastating, with over 71,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.