Al Jazeera condemns Israel 'targeting' Gaza journalists
Al Jazeera, a broadcaster based in Qatar, denounced Israel's actions on Tuesday after two of its Gaza journalists were struck and seriously injured. The life of reporter Ismail Abu Omar is in danger and cameraman Ahmad Matar was also wounded during the attack in Rafah, located in the southern part of Gaza.
- Middle East
- AFP
- Published Date: 06:37 | 13 February 2024
- Modified Date: 06:46 | 13 February 2024
Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera on Tuesday condemned Israel for "targeting" and severely wounding two of its Gaza journalists in a strike.
Reporter Ismail Abu Omar's life is at risk and cameraman Ahmad Matar was severely wounded when the pair were hit in Gaza's southern city of Rafah.
The network said the strike was a "fully-fledged crime which adds to Israel's crime against journalists" and was aimed at preventing reporters covering the war.
"Targeting the reporter Ismail and cameraman Ahmad is a new episode in a series by the (Israeli) occupation deliberately targeting Al Jazeera crews," the network said in a statement.
Abu Omar's right leg was blown off in the drone strike, while doctors were trying to save the left one, Al Jazeera said quoting an emergency physician.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the two were hit in a strike from an Israeli warplane in the Moraj area.
The two journalists have been admitted to the European Hospital, on the southern edge of Khan Yunis city.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday the facility is "overwhelmed, overcrowded and undersupplied" with more than 20,000 people sheltering in the hospital.
Hamas's government media office said it "condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation army's targeting of the Al Jazeera crew".
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike when contacted by AFP, saying only it would check the details of the incident.
Two other journalists with the broadcaster have been killed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, while bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh was wounded.
His son and fellow journalist Hamza Wael al-Dahdouh was killed when Israeli forces targeted a car last month, along with another video journalist, Mustafa Thuria.
The network's cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa was killed in a separate strike in December.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded the deaths of at least 85 journalists and media workers -- 78 of them Palestinian -- since the war erupted on October 7.