Five Palestinian journalists killed following Israeli airstrike in Gaza

FIVE PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS have been killed in Gaza following an airstrike by the Israeli Defence Forces and intelligence agency Shin Bet, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.

Israeli authorities have denied the accusation that the five people who were killed were journalists, claiming that all five men were members of a ‘GAP’ terrorist organisation.

In a statement today the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said a broadcast vehicle, marked with press labels and belonging to a local television station, was targeted near a hospital in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza.

The camp is one of the largest UN-established areas in Gaza, with a population of roughly 40,000 people. 

Al-Quds Today, the local television station, also confirmed the deaths of its reporters. The station is a volunteer network, made up of largely young journalists, and is affiliated with Islamic Jihad and militant groups in the region.

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Members of the Israeli Air Force carried out the strike overnight, a statement from the military confirmed today. The Syndicate has called for international support mechanisms to be put in place for the protection of journalists.

More than 190 journalists and other media workers have been killed since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023, it said.

A post to the Israeli military’s X account today confirmed the strike took place overnight and denied accusations that the five men who were killed were members of the press. It accused the men of operating “under the guise of journalists”.

The statement said the military had confirmed the information through a number of intelligence sources. It claimed four of the men were working to produce “combat propaganda”, while another man was the head of security for a terrorist orgnaisation.

“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,” it adds.

The five men are among the 38 people that have been killed following conflict in Gaza in the last 24 hours, according to the local health ministry.

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