Israeli strikes kill 3 journos including Al Jazeera correspondent
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Israeli strikes killed at least three journalists in Gaza and Lebanon on Wednesday, intensifying global alarm over the growing death toll among media workers in conflict zones and raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law, according to reports.
The dead include Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent with Al Jazeera Media Network, and Lebanese journalists Ghada Dayekh and Suzan Khalil. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the killings occurred amid ongoing Israeli military operations that have repeatedly struck civilian areas and media personnel.
Wishah was killed in a drone strike in western Gaza City after his vehicle was directly targeted. The Israeli military, through spokesperson Avichay Adraee, claimed he had links to Hamas, citing prior descriptions of him as associated with its military wing. Wishah had been reporting from Gaza since joining Al Jazeera in 2018 and was actively covering the war that began in October 2023.
Data released by authorities in Gaza indicate that at least 262 journalists have been killed since the conflict escalated, making it one of the deadliest periods for media workers in modern history. The scale of casualties has deepened accusations that journalists are being systematically exposed to lethal risk in active war zones.
In Lebanon, the killings of Dayekh, affiliated with Sawt Al-Farah, and Khalil, linked to Al-Manar TV and Al-Nour Radio, came during intensified Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions. Lebanese officials reported that more than 180 people were killed across the country on the same day, underscoring the widening scope of the conflict.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has warned that the repeated targeting and killing of journalists signals a dangerous erosion of protections guaranteed under international law. With mounting casualties and no clear accountability, pressure is growing for independent investigations into the strikes, as concerns escalate that such attacks may constitute serious violations of the laws governing armed conflict.
