Israeli Strike Kills Three Palestinian Journalists in Central Gaza

Three Palestinian journalists — Mohammed Salah Qeshta, Anas Ghunaim and Abdul Raouf Shaat — were killed when an Israeli strike hit their car in the al‑Zahra area of central Gaza on Wednesday, Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency and first responders said.

The Israeli military said it struck "several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas... in a manner that posed a threat" to its troops and that the details of the incident were under examination, while Mohammed Mansour, a spokesman for the Egyptian Relief Committee, said the vehicle was on a humanitarian mission about 5 kilometers from Israeli-controlled territory.

Mohammed Mansour, a spokesman for the Egyptian Relief Committee, said the car was marked with the committee's logo and "was targeted during a humanitarian mission, resulting in the martyrdom of three individuals," and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate called the strike a war crime, according to Wafa and the committee's statement.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said eight other Palestinians, including two children, were killed across Gaza on Wednesday and that at least 466 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 10 ceasefire, while the Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 206 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.

The Israeli military said it is examining the incident and reiterated its claim that a drone posed a threat in a statement, and international groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists have called for an urgent independent investigation, according to their statements and Reuters reporting.