Israel Kills Three Journalists Working with Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza

January 21, 2026

Three journalists documenting humanitarian relief in Gaza were killed by an Israeli drone strike, as Israel continued deadly ceasefire violations across the besieged enclave.

Featured Image: The slain journalists were identified as Mohammad Salah Qeshta, Abdel Raouf Shaat, and Anas Ghoneim. (Photo: AJA)

Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinian journalists working with the Egyptian Relief Committee on Wednesday after an Israeli drone strike hit the Netzarim area, south of Gaza City, medical and civil defense sources confirmed.

The journalists were identified as Mohammad Salah Qeshta, Abdel Raouf Shaat, and Anas Ghoneim. They were on assignment documenting conditions in displacement camps supervised by the Egyptian committee when their vehicle was targeted.

Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, told Al-Jazeera that the three journalists were carrying out humanitarian media work at the time of the strike. The Gaza Civil Defense said the victims were wearing clearly marked press clothing and were engaged in field documentation.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, confirmed that the journalists’ bodies were recovered and transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. He emphasized that the strike took place while the journalists were filming the humanitarian conditions in the Netzarim corridor.

Israeli Claim Contradicted by Field Evidence

Israeli army radio claimed the strike targeted a vehicle allegedly involved in operating a drone for intelligence purposes. No evidence was provided to support the claim, and Israeli media referred to the victims only as “suspects.”

Palestinian sources rejected the Israeli narrative, noting that the journalists were part of a clearly identified humanitarian media mission linked to Egyptian relief efforts—one of the key mediation and aid channels in Gaza.

Palestinian Factions Condemn the Killing

Hamas described the attack as a “war crime” and a “dangerous escalation,” accusing Israel of deliberately targeting journalists and humanitarian workers to obstruct relief and intimidate mediators.

“The deliberate targeting of journalists working under the umbrella of the Egyptian Relief Committee is a message of fire rejecting the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire,” Hamas said in a statement.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said the strike was not a battlefield error but a political message aimed at sabotaging humanitarian efforts and imposing Israeli conditions through force.

“This is an assault on the mediators themselves, especially Egypt, and an attempt to terrorize all those involved in relief and reconstruction,” the group said.

The killing of the three journalists came amid a broader Israeli escalation across Gaza. Medical sources said at least 11 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in airstrikes, artillery shelling, and drone attacks across central and southern Gaza.

Israeli occupation forces also carried out demolition operations and continued gunfire in areas they are still occupying under the ceasefire arrangement.

Ongoing Ceasefire Violations

Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025, Israel has continued daily violations, including airstrikes, live fire, demolitions, and restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Over the course of Israel’s two-year genocidal war on Gaza, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 171,000 injured, and roughly 90% of civilian infrastructure destroyed.

Human rights groups and Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that the continued targeting of journalists—already one of the deadliest conflicts on record for media workers—aims to silence documentation of ongoing crimes and humanitarian collapse in Gaza.

(PC, AJA, QNN, Gaza Ministry of Health)
.
We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.