Al Jazeera Denounces Israeli Strike That Killed Journalist in Gaza

Fri Apr 10 2026 13:55:20 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Al Jazeera condemns the killing of Mohammed Wishah, its correspondent, in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza, describing the attack as a targeted crime against journalists.

In a stark condemnation, Al Jazeera has expressed outrage over the death of its journalist Mohammed Wishah, who was killed by an Israeli drone strike in Gaza. This incident, which also resulted in the death of another individual, has raised significant concerns about the targeting of journalists amid ongoing military operations in the region. The Israeli military, however, claimed that Wishah was affiliated with Hamas and posed a threat to their operations. This marks another tragic loss for the media community, highlighting the perils faced by journalists in conflict zones.

Al Jazeera has condemned the killing of one of its Palestinian journalists in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a 'deliberate and targeted crime'.

Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel, and one other person were killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Gaza City on Wednesday, the Qatar-based network and local health officials said.

The Israeli military alleged that Wishah was a 'Hamas terrorist' and said it carried out the strike because he posed a threat to its forces in the area.

There was no immediate response from Al Jazeera, but both the network and Hamas have previously denied that Wishah was affiliated with the armed group.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also condemned the killing of Wishah 'in the strongest possible terms'.

He is the 11th Al Jazeera journalist to be killed since the start of the war in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for six months.

Witnesses said Wishah was travelling in a vehicle with another Palestinian along the coastal road west of Gaza City when it was hit by a missile fired by an Israeli drone. Videos posted online in the aftermath showed the vehicle engulfed in flames.

On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that its troops targeted Wishah and accused him of being 'a key terrorist in Hamas' rocket and weapons production headquarters' who 'operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist'. It said he was 'actively involved in planning attacks against IDF troops, and posed a concrete threat to forces in the area.'

A statement issued by Al Jazeera on Wednesday said it 'strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing' its 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,' it added.

Al Jazeera also reaffirmed that it would pursue 'all necessary legal action to prosecute those responsible for the killing of its correspondents and staff in Gaza, and to seek justice for them and for all fallen journalists'.

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 72,310 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. International news outlets rely on local reporters within Gaza, as Israel does not allow foreign media, including BBC News, to send journalists into the territory.