Israeli air strike kills five Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip

An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, Gaza's Health Ministry reported early on Thursday. The Israeli military has claimed that the strike had targeted a group of militants.

The attack struck a vehicle outside the Al-Awda Hospital, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The victims were journalists working for the local Quds News Network.

The Israeli military said it was aiming for a group of fighters from Islamic Jihad, a militant group that is allied with Hamas.

Footage from the Associated Press showed what was left of the incinerated van, with press markings still visible on the rear doors.

A funeral was held outside the hospital on Thursday, with several young men gathering, many of them weeping, as the bodies were laid out. The journalists' bodies were wrapped in white shrouds, with blue press vests placed over them.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the beginning of the war in October last year. A separate report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) released in early December estimated that Palestine was by far the deadliest place on earth for journalists during the past year.

Israel has restricted foreign journalists from entering Gaza, except if they do so on military embeds.

Israel has also banned the pan-Arab news network Al Jazeera, accusing six of its Gaza-based reporters of being militants. The Qatar-based network denies these accusations, asserting that Israel is attempting to suppress its coverage, which has focused on the heavy toll on civilians from Israeli military operations.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military reported the death of a 35-year-old reserve soldier during fighting in central Gaza early on Thursday. Since Israel's ground operation began over a year ago, 389 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack across the border on 7 October 2023, targeting nearby army bases and farming communities. The attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and led to the abduction of approximately 250 individuals. Around 100 hostages are still in Gaza, with at least a third believed to be dead.

Israel's subsequent air and ground operations have resulted in the deaths of more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. Over half of the fatalities are reported to be women and children, although the ministry has not disclosed how many were fighters. Israel claims to have killed more than 17,000 militants, though no evidence has been provided.

The conflict has caused widespread destruction and displaced approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. Hundreds of thousands are now living in overcrowded tent camps along the coast, enduring harsh conditions with little protection from the cold, wet winter.