Al Jazeera condemns killing of journalist in Israeli strike in Gaza
Al Jazeera Condemns Killing of Journalist in Israeli Strike in Gaza
Al Jazeera has issued a strong condemnation of the death of one of its Palestinian journalists during an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. The network labeled the incident a “deliberate and targeted crime,” highlighting the attack on Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, and another individual in Gaza City on Wednesday. Local health officials and the Qatar-based outlet confirmed the casualties, according to AFP news agency.
Witnesses reported that Wishah was traveling in a vehicle along the coastal road west of Gaza City when it was struck by a missile from an Israeli drone. Footage shared online showed the car engulfed in flames. The Israeli military claimed Wishah was a “Hamas terrorist” and justified the strike by stating he threatened its forces in the region.
“This constitutes a new and flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth,” stated Al Jazeera in a Wednesday declaration.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) echoed the network’s criticism, expressing “strongest possible terms” of disapproval for the journalist’s killing. Wishah is the 11th Al Jazeera reporter to lose their life since the Gaza conflict began, with a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas having held for six months.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the targeting of Wishah, accusing him of being “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters” who “operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist.” The IDF cited a February 2024 post from its Arabic spokesman, featuring photos allegedly showing Wishah handling weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. These images were reportedly found on a seized computer in Gaza.
Al Jazeera and Hamas had previously denied Wishah’s ties to the armed group. The media rights organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted that Wishah was among “more than 220 journalists killed in two and a half years by Israeli forces in Gaza, at least 70 of whom were slain while performing their duties.”
International news outlets depend heavily on local reporters in Gaza, as Israel restricts foreign media, including BBC News, from entering the territory. The conflict originated with Hamas’ assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Since then, over 72,310 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, per Hamas-run health ministry data.
Additionally, the CPJ reported that two other journalists were killed in separate Israeli strikes in Lebanon this week. Ghada Dayekh, a radio presenter at Sawt al-Farah, died when her building in Tyre was hit. Suzan Khalil, a TV reporter linked to Hezbollah, was killed in a strike near Kfoun. The CPJ highlighted that 260 journalists have been killed across the Middle East since the Gaza conflict began, with at least seven of those in Lebanon since the US and Israel’s war with Iran started on February 28.
“Journalists are being killed at a pace and scale that should shock the conscience of the world. These are not isolated tragedies; they reflect a systematic failure to uphold the most basic protections owed to civilian journalists under international law,” said CPJ regional director Sara Qudah in a statement.