Eight Journalists Injured by Israeli Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon
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January 22, 2026 – Palestine –
Three Palestinian journalists were killed on January 21, 2026, when an Israeli airstrike struck a vehicle they were using while documenting civilian displacement and humanitarian conditions in central Gaza, health officials and press freedom groups reported. The deaths occurred despite an existing ceasefire, underscoring the persistent dangers faced by reporters covering the conflict and the serious risks confronting media professionals in the densely populated territory.
Gaza’s civil defence agency identified the journalists as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat, and Anas Ghneim, noting that at least 11 Palestinians were killed in the same series of strikes, including the three journalists. Shaat was a freelance photo and video journalist, previously associated with international outlets, while Qashta and Ghneim were also active in reporting on humanitarian conditions. The bodies of the three media workers were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah following the attack.
The Israeli military has stated it is reviewing the incident, with officials suggesting the strike was aimed at individuals allegedly operating a drone purportedly linked to militant activity. However, local hospital reports and colleagues of the slain journalists maintain that the team was engaged in documenting displacement and relief efforts at the time of the attack — work protected under international law.
The killings add to a broader trend of deadly attacks on journalists in Gaza since the start of the conflict in October 2023, which has already claimed more than 460 Palestinian lives under the ceasefire period and has seen hundreds of media workers killed in the course of reporting. Press freedom organisations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI), condemned the deaths as part of an ongoing pattern where journalists are placed in increasingly perilous situations and urged independent investigations into the circumstances surrounding such strikes.
International advocates stress that journalists are civilians under international humanitarian law and should not be targeted or treated as combatants, regardless of operational conditions. These killings have prompted renewed calls for greater protection of media workers in conflict zones and accountability for attacks that result in the deaths of journalists fulfilling their duty to report on humanitarian crises and civilian displacement.
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