Israeli Strikes Kill Nine, Including Journalists, In Northern Gaza

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that nine people, including journalists and humanitarian workers, were killed on Saturday in Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza.

The attack, which took place in Beit Lahia, was condemned by Hamas as a “blatant violation” of the ongoing ceasefire.

“Nine martyrs have been transferred to the hospital, including several journalists and workers from the Al-Khair Charitable Organisation, after an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Beit Lahia, alongside artillery shelling in the same area,” said civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza confirmed that the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza received nine bodies, along with several wounded individuals, some in critical condition.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had targeted “two terrorists… operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops in the area of Beit Lahia.”

The military further claimed that after the initial strike, “several additional terrorists collected the drone operating equipment and entered a vehicle,” which was then struck by Israeli forces.

Hamas swiftly condemned the attack, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. “The occupation (Israel) has committed a horrific massacre in the northern Gaza Strip by targeting a group of journalists and humanitarian workers,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem.

Ismail Thawabteh, director of Hamas-affiliated media in Gaza, told AFP that local photojournalists were killed while using a drone to capture images of a Ramadan dining table in Beit Lahia. He alleged that they were “directly targeted” despite their work being clearly identifiable.

Since early March, Israel has carried out near-daily airstrikes in Gaza, claiming to target militants planting explosive devices.

While the ceasefire, in place since January 19, has largely held, occasional strikes and retaliations have continued, with no agreement reached on an extension.

Although the first phase of the truce ended on March 1, both Israel and Hamas have so far avoided a full-scale resumption of hostilities.