Israeli strike kills journalist in central Gaza

An Israeli strike targeting a residential home in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed Palestinian Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist and cameraman Ahmed Samir Wishah on Saturday.

Al Jazeera said in a statement that it “strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing” of the correspondent.

“This constitutes a new and flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth,” the network said in a statement.

The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the strike that killed the journalist, claiming he was a "Hamas terrorist", without providing any evidence.

The killing of the journalist brings the total number of Palestinians killed on  to ten. 

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The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was "alarmed" by Wishah's killing, saying it is "underscoring the devastating toll this war continues to take on journalists."

"CPJ is investigating the circumstances of this incident and calls for a thorough and transparent inquiry by the Israeli authorities," the organisation said.

CPJ is alarmed by reports that Al Jazeera cameraman #Ahmed_Samir_Washah was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential home in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Washah’s death comes just two months after the killing of his brother, journalist Muhammad… pic.twitter.com/jw6MtA64Pq

— CPJ MENA (@CPJMENA) June 20, 2026

Wishah's brother, Mohammed Samir, who was also a journalist, was killed on 8 April when an Israeli double-tap strike hit his vehicle as he was travelling to cover a story. He also worked for Al Jazeera Mubasher.

Wishah’s colleagues said they had feared for his safety months earlier, after an Israeli incitement campaign targeted him during his reporting of the genocide over the past two years.

According to figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.

Wishah is the 12th Al Jazeera staffer killed in the Gaza Strip during the same period.

middleeasteye.net