The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted on Monday that it carried out an airstrike in Gaza on Sunday that killed two journalists working for Al Jazeera, saying the forces were targeting a terrorist.
“An IDF aircraft identified and attacked a terrorist who was operating an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF forces,” the military told CNN.
“We are aware of reports that two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also struck during the attack.”
One of the people killed in the attack was a journalist and drone operator who worked for Al Jazeera, the network's Jerusalem and Ramallah bureau chief told CNN.
“Mustafa Thuraya has been a drone operator used by Al Jazeera and freelance since the beginning of the war. He is known as a drone journalist in Gaza,” said Waleed al-Omari.
He was one of several journalists, including photojournalist Hamza Al-Dahdouh, who traveled to North Rafah “to report on the aftermath of an Israeli attack on the home of the Abu Al-Naja family, in which dozens of people were killed.” said al-Omari.
As they returned to Khan Younis, “drone strikes targeted two cars – the first vehicle carrying Hamza and Mustafa and a driver, and a second car carrying the Palestine Today reporter and a driver.”
Thuraya and Al-Dahdouh were killed and their driver was critically injured, and both occupants of the other car were killed, al-Omari said.
There is no evidence that Thuraya was operating a drone at the time of the attack, when the journalists were returning from filming.
Accusations of “systematic attacks” on journalists: When asked by CNN if they knew there was a journalist drone pilot in one of the cars, the IDF said: “At the moment we cannot elaborate. We will update you as soon as we have further information.”
Al-Dahdouh, the photojournalist, was the son of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh. Two of his other children, along with his wife and a grandchild, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in October.
Al Jazeera accused Israel in a statement on Sunday of “systematically targeting” Al-Dahdouh, adding: “Al Jazeera strongly condemns the ongoing crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces against journalists and media workers in Gaza.”
“This alarming trend requires immediate attention and action from the international community. We urge the International Criminal Court, governments and human rights organizations, and the United Nations to hold Israel accountable for its heinous crimes and call for an end to targeted attacks and killings of journalists.”
Israel categorically says it does not target journalists, but the Committee to Protect Journalists said 77 journalists and media workers were killed in Gaza between October 7 and December 31. Of these, 70 were Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese.