A series of violent incidents across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of at least eleven Palestinians, according to local medical sources. The fatalities include three media professionals and two thirteen-year-old boys, marking another day of bloodshed in the region.
The three journalists were reportedly traveling by vehicle to document conditions at a newly established displacement camp in central Gaza when their car was struck. A media organization stated the men were on a mission to film the humanitarian situation. Online footage from the scene showed a severely damaged and smoldering vehicle by a roadside.
In separate events the same day, two teenagers lost their lives. In one incident, a boy, his father, and a young man were reportedly hit by fire on the outskirts of a refugee camp. In another, a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed while gathering firewood in an eastern town. Video from a hospital showed a grieving father beside his son’s body.
The journalists have been identified, with one noted as a frequent contributor to an international news agency, though he was not on an official assignment at the time. A spokesperson for a relief committee overseeing aid operations stated the journalists’ vehicle was known to military authorities.
In a statement regarding the strike on the journalists, the military said its forces had identified individuals operating a drone believed to be linked to a militant group, posing a threat to troops. It stated the targets were struck precisely and that the incident is under review.
Media advocacy groups report that the number of journalists killed in Gaza since the outbreak of hostilities has reached into the hundreds, with dozens reportedly killed in the past year alone.
The mother of the teenage boy killed while collecting firewood told news media her son had left home hungry, promising a quick return so she could prepare a meal.
Health officials report that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since a truce was established last October.