Khan Younis / PNN/
Two people, including Palestinian journalist Helmi Al-Faqaawi, were killed and several others — journalists and civilians — were injured early Monday when Israeli warplanes targeted a tent used by journalists next to Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defence, Al-Faqaawi and a young man identified as Youssef Al-Khazandar were killed in the strike. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries, with at least one case reported as critical.
Among the injured journalists were Ahmad Mansour Hassan Aslayeh, Ihab Al-Bardini, Ahmad Al-Agha, Mohammad Fayeq, and Abdullah Al-Attar. Their injuries ranged from moderate to severe.
A widely circulated video captured the moment the tent went up in flames following the strike. In the footage, journalist Ahmad Mansour is seen engulfed in fire, his body severely burned. Bystanders can be seen scrambling to extinguish the blaze with whatever tools they had at hand, visibly shocked by the scale and intensity of the attack.
The attack comes less than 48 hours after another Israeli airstrike killed journalist Islam Nasreddin Maqdad and her child in a strike on their home west of Khan Younis.
The Israeli military has been repeatedly accused of systematically targeting Palestinian journalists in Gaza in an apparent attempt to silence coverage and prevent the dissemination of information to the outside world.
Since the beginning of the ongoing war on Gaza, launched on 7 October 2023, over 210 journalists have been killed and hundreds more wounded, according to local reports.
