Al Jazeera has condemned the killing of one of its Palestinian journalists in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a 'deliberate and targeted crime'.
Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel, and one other person were killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Gaza City on Wednesday, the Qatar-based network and local health officials said.
The Israeli military alleged that Wishah was a 'Hamas terrorist' and said it carried out the strike because he posed a threat to its forces in the area.
There was no immediate response from Al Jazeera, but both the network and Hamas have previously denied that Wishah was affiliated with the armed group.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also said it condemned the killing of Wishah 'in the strongest possible terms'.
He is the 11th Al Jazeera journalist to be killed since the start of the war in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for six months.
Witnesses said Wishah was travelling in a vehicle with another Palestinian along the coastal road west of Gaza City when it was hit by a missile fired by an Israeli drone. Videos posted online in the aftermath showed the vehicle engulfed in flames.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that its troops targeted Wishah and accused him of being 'a key terrorist in Hamas' rocket and weapons production headquarters' who 'operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist'. It said he was 'actively involved in planning attacks against IDF troops, and posed a concrete threat to forces in the area'.
Al Jazeera issued a statement saying it 'strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing' its correspondent, stating that it reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists. The network signified its intention to seek justice for its staff killed in Gaza.
The CPJ noted that more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza over the past years, at least 70 while performing their duties. They highlighted the need for accountability regarding attacks on journalists, emphasizing the systematic failure to protect them under international law.
Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel, and one other person were killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Gaza City on Wednesday, the Qatar-based network and local health officials said.
The Israeli military alleged that Wishah was a 'Hamas terrorist' and said it carried out the strike because he posed a threat to its forces in the area.
There was no immediate response from Al Jazeera, but both the network and Hamas have previously denied that Wishah was affiliated with the armed group.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also said it condemned the killing of Wishah 'in the strongest possible terms'.
He is the 11th Al Jazeera journalist to be killed since the start of the war in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for six months.
Witnesses said Wishah was travelling in a vehicle with another Palestinian along the coastal road west of Gaza City when it was hit by a missile fired by an Israeli drone. Videos posted online in the aftermath showed the vehicle engulfed in flames.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that its troops targeted Wishah and accused him of being 'a key terrorist in Hamas' rocket and weapons production headquarters' who 'operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist'. It said he was 'actively involved in planning attacks against IDF troops, and posed a concrete threat to forces in the area'.
Al Jazeera issued a statement saying it 'strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing' its correspondent, stating that it reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists. The network signified its intention to seek justice for its staff killed in Gaza.
The CPJ noted that more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza over the past years, at least 70 while performing their duties. They highlighted the need for accountability regarding attacks on journalists, emphasizing the systematic failure to protect them under international law.
