Five Palestinian journalists in press-marked van killed in Israeli strike, including father-to-be Ayman Algedi

A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
An Israeli airstrike outside Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza, has killed five Palestinian journalists, including Ayman Algedi, who was awaiting the birth of his first child.

The journalists, working for the Al-Quds Today television channel, were travelling in a press-marked van when the strike hit. Associated Press footage showed the charred remains of the vehicle, with press markings still visible, according to the Gaza Health Ministry

The Israeli military claimed the journalists were militants posing as reporters. “Intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group,” the military stated. It identified four of the journalists as “combat propagandists.” Al-Quds Today is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group, a smaller ally of Hamas.

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The strike has drawn sharp attention to the risks faced by journalists in the region. Outside the hospital, funerals for the victims were attended by sobbing mourners. The journalists’ bodies were wrapped in white shrouds, with their blue press vests draped over them.

Algedi’s death, in particular, has sparked outrage as he was killed on the same day his wife was due to give birth to their first child.

A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A Palestinian boy stands near the remains of a broadcasting vehicle following an Israeli airstrike that kills five journalists from Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel near Al-Awda Hospital, according to medics with the Gaza health authorities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that over 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the war began. Israel has banned foreign reporters from entering Gaza, except on military embeds, and accused multiple Palestinian journalists of militant ties.

The war, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, including more than half who are women and children. Israel states it has killed over 17,000 militants but has not provided evidence for the claim. The war has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, forcing hundreds of thousands into makeshift camps as winter sets in.

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Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive were launched in response to a Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 250 more. At least 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with a third believed dead.

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