Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that nine people, including journalists and humanitarian workers, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern region of Gaza on Saturday. Hamas condemned the attack as a “blatant violation” of the fragile ceasefire in place between the two sides.
According to civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal, “Nine martyrs have been transferred to the hospital, including several journalists and workers from the Al-Khair Charitable Organisation, as a result of the occupation targeting a vehicle with a drone in the town of Beit Lahia, coinciding with artillery shelling in the same area.”
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip confirmed the deaths, stating that “nine martyrs and several injured, including critical cases, have arrived at the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.”
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, stating that it targeted “two terrorists operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops in Beit Lahia.” The military added that “several additional terrorists later retrieved the drone equipment and entered a vehicle, which was subsequently struck by the IDF.”
In response, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. “The occupation (Israel) has committed a horrific massacre in northern Gaza by targeting a group of journalists and humanitarian workers, in a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem.
Ismail Thawabteh, the director of Hamas-affiliated media in Gaza, told AFP that local photojournalists were among those killed while using a drone to capture images of a Ramadan dining table in Beit Lahia. He stated that they were “directly targeted by the occupation in two air strikes, despite their work being clear.”
Since early March, Israel has carried out near-daily airstrikes in Gaza, primarily targeting militants accused of planting explosive devices. While a truce between Israel and Hamas has largely held since January 19, the situation remains volatile, with no agreement on extending the ceasefire. The first phase of the truce ended on March 1, but both sides have refrained from resuming full-scale hostilities.
AFP
