Five Gaza journalists killed in Israeli attack
A Palestinian TV channel says five of its journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip.
They were in a Quds Today van parked outside al-Awda hospital in the central Nussirat refugee camp, where a journalist’s wife was about to give birth.
The channel posted a video in which it said the burning vehicle was with “Press” signage on the rear doors.
The Israeli Air Force said it had attacked a vehicle carrying Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants “in a targeted manner and with intelligence guidance”. It said measures had been taken to minimize civilian casualties.
The BBC has not been able to verify the claims made by either side.
Quds Today is affiliated with the PIJ group which took part in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The unprecedented attack sparked a war in Gaza.
In a separate development, five people were reported killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Wafa news agency and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry also said 20 more people were wounded in the city’s al-Zitoun neighborhood.
The Israeli military has not commented on the alleged bombing.
Also on Wednesday, Hamas and Israel blamed each other for delays in the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire.
Hamas accused the Israeli government of imposing “new conditions” and said it was delaying the agreement.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the group was withdrawing from an earlier consensus regarding a possible ceasefire.
The latest statements indicate a significant change in tone from both sides.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office said Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar mediating after “important talks” – and that came before Palestinian negotiators told the BBC that talks were 90% complete except for a few issues.
Last year, in response to Hamas’ attack, the Israeli military launched airstrikes and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack and another 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. According to the United Nations, about 2 million people – 90% of the population – have been displaced.
Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv.
