Hossam Shabat speaks of the recent Israeli killing spree of journalist

No.

6885

Date

11 October, 2024

Location

📍 Gaza - Gaza City - Jabalia - North Gaza

Original Social Media Post

"استهدف الاحتلال الإسرائيلي أثناء توغله في مخيم جباليا مصور الجزيرة فادي الوحيدي، وقبلها قتل الصحفي حسن حمد.. الزميل حسام شبات يروي لـ #مجلة_الصحافة كيف أصبح الصحفيون " أهدافا دقيقة" لنيران الاحتلال. #gaza During its incursion into Jabalia camp, the Israeli occupation targeted Al Jazeera photographer Fadi Al Wahidi, and before that, journalist Hassan Hamad was killed. Colleague Hussam Shabat tells #Journalism_Magazine how journalists have become "precise targets" for the occupation's fire."
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Archivist Notes On This Video

"Our colleague Hassan Hamad was the first journalist targeted during the ground invasion. He was killed at home while he was covering the events running from place to place while wearing this vest. We must note that we found nothing left of his body except shredded body parts.

The journalist Fadi Al-Wahidi was also targeted while with his Al-Jazeera team in a place full of people in al-Jalaa area. Suddenly an IDF quadcopter shot him. He was not in a closed military zone as the IDF claimed. He was in among citizens. The Al-jazeera team was directly targeted.

Also, our colleague Mohammed Al-Tanani was intentionally targeted along with colleague Tamer Lubbad. These attacks on journalists are part of a series of murders carried out by the IOF, such as Wael Al-Dahdouh's home, Samer Abu Daqqa, and Shireen Abu Akled in the West Bank before. Today these scenes are being repeated now on the ground but we will continue sharing the truth and our mics will not fall to the ground despite all the dangers."

Archivist Notes: Journalists M. Al-Tanani & Omar Al-Balaawi murdered / Tamer Labad & Fadi Al-Wahidi injured / Al-Arabi Team

On October 9, in the afternoon, during coverage of the besieged northern Gaza by Israeli ground forces, three attacks targeted different journalist teams at three locations: the Abu Sharkh roundabout (a rare escape route transformed into a "kill zone" by the IDF for the past three days) and a location near Osama Bin Zaid School in the Saftawi area.

The team reporting in Saftawi was attacked twice; their colleague, Fadi Al-Wahidi, was severely injured and is undergoing surgeries. Tamer Lubbad also sustained serious injuries.

Intentional Targeting: Reports indicate these attacks are not random but aim to silence journalists and prevent documentation. Journalists have been consistently targeted, especially near the axes of Israeli incursions in northern Gaza. The pattern suggests that Israel is deliberately targeting journalists to prevent media coverage of its activities in northern Gaza, even in areas without active fighting or evacuation orders.

1) Mohammed Al-Tanani murdered & Tamer Lubbad injured at the Abu Sharkh roundabout

Palestinian photojournalist Mohammed Al-Tanani was killed by Israeli forces while reporting on the Israeli ground invasion of the Jabalia camp. Journalist Tamer Lubbad, also a correspondent for Al-Aqsa, was injured. On the same day, the IDF completely closed off all access to and from Jabalia and openly fired at anyone attempting to leave. Journalists documenting the scenes started referring to the Abu Sharkh roundabout as the "Death Intersection/Roundabout."

Al-Tanani’s body was retrieved despite Israeli occupation forces targeting the rescue teams. Palestine Red Crescent crews transported his body and another injured journalist after the occupation’s aircraft targeted a group of journalists at the Abu Sharkh roundabout in northern Gaza. They were taken to Al-Ahli Al-Ma’madani Hospital.

According to Quds Network, Al-Tanani was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper, while two other journalists, Tamer Lubbad and Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi Al-Wheidi, were injured by Israeli fire.

Journalist Emad Ghaboun (@EmadGhaboun) tribute : "The body of the martyr, fellow journalist Muhammad al-Tanani, after fulfilling his media duty, was assassinated today by the occupying forces. Your work as a journalist in Gaza means you could be killed by the occupation at any time."

2) Fadi Al-Wahidi injured in the Saftawi area

Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi Al-Wahidi was reportedly shot in the neck and in the chest by Israeli drone strike or sniper near Osama Bin Zaid School in the Saftawi area and his injury was serious. According to Anas Al-Sharif, Al Jazeera correspondant, he now suffers from paraplegia following his injury :"Today, I stand next to Fadi while he is in a coma, after he had been standing in front of me and surrounding me from all sides, so that the picture was conveyed with the utmost professionalism. Today, unfortunately, doctors informed us that Fadi has become permanently paralyzed."

Photos of colleague Islam Bader rushing to evacuate Fadi and his testimony "Those were difficult moments. We were in an unspecified area, an evacuation zone, far from the clashes, dressed in press attire. But the bullets from the Israeli army came directly at us, twice, to ensure we were injured... and unfortunately, they succeeded. The army didn’t stop firing even after Fadi fell. I went back to get him, and unfortunately, he was unconscious."

The moment Al-Aqsa TV cameraman Mohammed Al-Tanani was targeted. Video by Yahya Alfarra on Instagram.

Anas al-Sharif and Hossam Shabat testify that the group of journalists worked in a safe place, far from any dangerous places and clashes when they were targeted. Hossam Shabat "I took this photo of Fadi moments before he was shot and he was directly targeted. He told me not to take risks and not to advance into the dangerous zone, but Fadi was targeted in the zone which was a thousand meters from danger. It is clear from this that the attacks were aimed at journalists."

Testimony of Anas Al-Sharif (Al Jazeera Corespondant) "The doctor told me a short while ago that my brother and beloved Fadi Al-Wahidi's health condition is very serious and he needs urgent surgery. The X-ray image that was just taken showed a rupture in the cervical vertebrae of the spine… …and the operation may also result in hemiplegia that may affect our colleague Fadi, God forbid. Praying for Fadi's safety and recovery There is no power nor strength save with Allah"

On october 11, in the afternoon, Journalist Fadi Al-Wahidi wakes up from his coma.

Journalist Hossam Shabat tribute :

Fadi, friend and fellow journalist, is dear, loyal and loving towards his friends, concerned for their safety. He was reluctant to take risks and advised me not to put our lives in danger. Ten minutes before being targeted, he advised me to stay away from the occupying army area. He had a distinctive style of covering events and his emotion was evident in every harsh scene, with tears streaming from his eyes from the tragedies he witnessed. During the year of the genocide, Fadi tirelessly continued his work with the Al Jazeera team. Today, we miss him in media coverage and remember him in light of the continuing massacres.

3) Al-Araby Team targeted in the Saftawi area

Occupation forces opened fire on Al-Arab TV crew and journalists while they were covering the Israeli incursion into the northern Gaza Strip.

According to Islam Bader, who was among the Al-Arabi journalist team, They stay in the Saftawi area, north of Gaza City, at the western entrance to Jabalia camp, where journalists were reporting on recent developments amid escalating assaults by the Israeli Forces (IDF).

It was a civilian Area: Al-Saftawi was not under Israeli evacuation orders and was populated by civilians and shelters. Journalists, wearing press vests, were working in a residential area with no combat activities or clashes.

Targeted Attack: Israeli drones fired directly at the journalists (including teams from Al Araby and others) without warning, despite their clear identification as press and the presence of civilians.

Sources : 1

4) Journalist Omar Al-Balaawi murdered at home by a drone strike

Later in the day, Palestinian journalist and English teacher Omar Al-Balaawi was killed due to open fire from Israeli drones targeting him while he was near the window of his home on Al-Jalaa Street in northern Gaza. His last message on the Social Media was "We will remain steadfast, we will not leave except to heaven #North Gaza."

People in Video: Mohammad Al-Tanani , Fadi Al-Wahidi , Tamer Lubbad , Omar Al-Balaawi

The details for each video come from social media. None of it has been verified.