Palestinian Foreign Ministry Condemns Targeted Killings of Journalists in Gaza
April 7, 2025
Israeli strike on hospital camp used by Gaza journalists kills 10 people
April 7, 2025
April 07, 2025 – Palestine/Israel –
Palestinian journalist Hilmi al-Faqawi was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a tent used by media workers outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Al-Faqawi, who reported for the Palestine Today news agency, was among at least two people killed in the early morning strike, which also injured several other journalists, deepening the crisis for press workers in the region.
The tent, a designated space for journalists covering the humanitarian situation near the hospital, caught fire during the attack, engulfing equipment and trapping individuals inside. Footage from the scene showed people scrambling to douse the flames. Colleagues described a chaotic aftermath as the wounded were rushed into the hospital for treatment. Ahmad Mansour, another journalist caught in the blast, sustained severe burns and was left in critical condition.
Other journalists, including Hassan Eslaih and Ihab al-Bardini, were injured by shrapnel, with al-Bardini reportedly struck in the head. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which reiterated calls for international action to protect media personnel in conflict zones.
The Israeli military said the strike was intended to hit Hamas operatives allegedly using the hospital vicinity as a base. However, human rights organizations and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists, calling it an attempt to silence coverage of the ongoing war.
According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, al-Faqawi’s death raises the total number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to at least 210. Many of these deaths occurred while journalists were identified or working in marked press zones, leading to international outcry and calls for war crimes investigations.
This strike is one of several incidents that illustrate the perilous conditions faced by media workers in Gaza, with journalists increasingly becoming casualties in a war where truth-telling comes at a deadly cost. The targeting of press shelters highlights the urgent need for accountability and protection under international law.
Reference –
https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/article/hilmi-al-faqawi
