The Egyptian Humanitarian Aid Committee and the AFP criticize the latest deadly attack on a vehicle belonging to a humanitarian group, which brings the number of journalists killed since October 2023 to 260
Israel faces growing international condemnation after it struck a vehicle belonging to the Egyptian Humanitarian Aid Committee in Gaza, killing three Palestinian journalists, including an AFP freelancer.
The reporters, identified as Mohammad Salah Qishta, Abdul Raouf Samir Shaat and Anas Ghanem, were killed when their vehicle was fired upon while filming in a camp for displaced Palestinians run by the Egyptian aid group in the center of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the AFP lamented the death of Shaat, who was a collaborator with the agency, and demanded a “complete and transparent investigation” into the attack.
“Too high a number of local journalists have been killed in Gaza over the past two years, while foreign journalists continue to be prevented from entering the territory freely,” the news agency added.
The Government Press Office in Gaza reported that, with this, the number of journalists killed by Israel since October 2023 reaches 260.
The Israeli Armed Forces confirmed the attack, claiming it targeted suspects believed to be operating a Hamas-linked drone.
During the twenty-year genocidal war in Gaza, Israel regularly made unsubstantiated claims that it had attacked journalists for allegedly participating in militant activities.
Mohammed Mansour, spokesman for the Egyptian Humanitarian Aid Committee, said the Israeli army “criminally attacked this vehicle.”
“A vehicle belonging to the Egyptian Committee was the target of an attack during a humanitarian mission, resulting in the deaths of three people,” he said, adding that all of the aid group’s vehicles display its logo.
Journalists Mohammad Salah Qishta, Abdul Raouf Samir Shaat and Anas Ghanem were killed by Israelis on January 21, 2026 | X
Another source from the Egyptian Committee for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that several of its members, including photographers, were on a field mission before the attack to document their camps near the Netzarim area, a corridor created by Israel to monitor Palestinians.
He described the attacks as a “dangerous precedent” and emphasized that they were “part of ongoing provocations aimed at undermining current efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
Since the ceasefire came into force on October 10, Israel has repeatedly violated the agreement, carrying out hundreds of deadly airstrikes, arresting civilians, demolishing homes and restricting humanitarian aid.
The Gaza Government Press Office said it had recorded 1,300 Israeli violations in the first 100 days of the ceasefire, bringing the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the war in October 2023 to more than 71,500 and the number of injured to more than 171,300.
‘Journalists’ worst enemy’
Wednesday’s attack sparked widespread criticism from media professionals, human rights groups and internet users.
The Palestinian Journalists’ Union harshly criticized what it described as a “deliberate murder” carried out by the Israeli army.
“The union stated that attacking journalists in the exercise of their professional duties is part of a policy adopted by the Israeli occupation to silence the Palestinian voice, prevent the transmission of the truth and hide crimes committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip,” it declared.
Independent journalist Barry Malone highlighted the continued Israeli attacks in a post on X, writing: “There is no ceasefire. There never was.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the Israeli army as “journalists’ worst enemy” in its annual report published in December, with almost half of all journalist murders in the world taking place in Gaza.
The group said that of the 67 media professionals killed last year, 43% were murdered by Israel, making the Palestinian territories the most dangerous place in the world for journalists.
According to RSF, the Israeli army is mainly responsible for the deaths of journalists, followed by cartels and organized crime groups (24%) and the Russian army (4%).
“Under the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli army carried out a massacre – unprecedented in recent history – of the Palestinian press,” RSF said in its most recent report.
To justify its crimes, the Israeli military launched a global propaganda campaign to spread baseless accusations, portraying Palestinian journalists as terrorists.
Originally published by Middle East Eye on 1/22/2026
By Mera Aladam
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/01/22/novo-ataque-israelense-matou-tres-jornalistas-em-gaza/
