Israeli airstrike near Gaza hospital kills 5 journalists: Report

GAZA, PALESTINE - DEC. 26: Five journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were killed early Thursday when an Israeli airstrike struck their broadcasting van near al-Awda Hospital in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, according to Palestinian officials and media reports. The journalists were covering events at the hospital when the vehicle, marked with the word “PRESS” in large red letters, was hit. The victims have been identified as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and Ayman al-Jadi. Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif reported that al-Jadi was waiting for his wife, who was in labor with their first child, outside the hospital at the time of the attack. Footage from the scene showed the van engulfed in flames as civil defense teams worked to recover the bodies and extinguish the fire. The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a vehicle carrying members of Islamic Jihad. “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,” the military said in a post on X. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the deaths, calling for accountability. (Footage by Fadel A. A. Almaghari/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)