Al Jazeera journalist killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City

The Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera has condemned the killing of one of its journalists in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The network labelled the death of Mohammed Wishah a “deliberate and targeted crime” and accused Israeli forces of intentionally striking the vehicle in which the correspondent was travelling.

Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was killed alongside one other person in the Sheikh Ajlin area, west of Gaza City. The Al Jazeera Media Network issued a statement asserting that the killing was intended to intimidate journalists working within the Palestinian territory. The network stated it holds Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for the incident.

The Israeli army provided no immediate response to requests for comment regarding the strike. However, Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, confirmed that the vehicle was bombed by occupation forces, resulting in two fatalities. The strike occurred despite a fragile, US-backed ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) echoed the condemnation, noting that Mohammed Wishah is one of more than 220 journalists killed by Israeli forces in Gaza over the past two and a half years. According to RSF data, at least 70 of these individuals were killed specifically while performing their professional duties.

This latest casualty adds to a growing list of Al Jazeera staff killed during the conflict. The network has now lost 11 journalists since the hostilities began following the 7 October 2023 attacks. Previous incidents include the death of Mohammad Salama in August 2025 and an air strike outside Al-Shifa hospital that claimed the lives of four staff members and two freelancers earlier that same month.

The ongoing violence highlights the extreme instability of the current truce, as both Israel and Hamas continue to trade accusations of ceasefire violations. While the war has largely halted, Israel has maintained that it will continue to carry out strikes against what it identifies as militant targets within the enclave.

Al Jazeera has pledged to pursue all necessary legal avenues to prosecute those responsible for the deaths of its correspondents. The network’s leadership emphasised that it would seek justice through international legal frameworks for all fallen journalists as part of its commitment to press freedom and safety in conflict zones.