The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) targeting of a journalists’ tent near Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis early this morning. The airstrike killed two people, including a journalist, and injured 9 other journalists; one of whom was engulfed by flames inside the tent. The ongoing targeting and escalating killing of journalists undoubtedly prove that the killing is deliberate and intentional, aimed at intimidating and preventing them from unveiling the truth to the whole world. Such targeted attacks are part of the crime of genocide Israel is committing in the Gaza Strip.

According to PCHR’s field documentation, in the early hours of Monday, 07 April 2025, an IOF’s warplane fired a missile at a journalists’ tent belonging to Palestine Today Agency opposite Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis. As a result, the tent was burned, two people, including journalist Helmi al-Faq’awi (28), a reporter for Palestine Today Agency, were killed, while other journalists were injured. One of the injured journalists, Ahmed Mansour (35), the Agency’s reporter and editor, was seriously injured after sustaining severe burns all over his body as fire engulfed him.

A footage circulating after the attack shows journalist Mansour completely engulfed in flames, while his colleagues attempted to extinguish the fire with primitive means, but to no avail. Mansour was then transported to the hospital in serious condition. Additionally, many other journalists were injured; at least three deemed in serious condition, while the rest sustained moderate to minor injuries. The injured journalists were identified as: Hasan ‘Abed al-Fattah Islayieh (29), Ehab Eyad al-Bordainy (38), Ahmed Sa’eed al-Agha (38), ‘Abed al-Raouf Sameer Sha’th (33), Majed Diyab Qudaih (39), ‘Andullah Foad al-‘Atar (24), and Mahmoud Mohammed ‘Awwad (41).

One of the injured journalists, Abed al-Raouf Sha’th (33), a freelance journalist, said to PCHR:

“I saw journalist Ahmed Mansour, a reporter for Palestine Today Agency, engulfed in flames while sitting upright on a chair behind a desk in the Palestine Today tent. I was shocked by the horrific scene and stopped filming immediately. I rushed toward him to try to get him out of the tent. As I approached and tried to pull him, his pants tore in my hands due to the intensity of the flames. I made several attempts, but my right fingers were burned. The fire blocked my way, so I moved to another corner to avoid the flames and tried again to reach him, but the fire was too intense. At that moment, several colleagues who were in the area brought water bottles and put out the fire. We finally managed to pull Ahmed Mansour out…”

With this crime, the number of journalists killed by IOF since 07 October 2023 has risen to 210, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. This war has taken a record toll since the recording of journalist fatalities started in 1992. Among those killed were 13 female journalists. Meanwhile, the majority of journalists were killed in Israeli warplane and drone airstrikes, and the remaining were shot dead by Israeli snipers. Most journalists were killed alongside their families in targeted attacks on their homes, while others were killed in indiscriminate bombings throughout the ongoing genocide. Some journalists were directly targeted and killed while others were killed on duty. Additionally, 194 journalists have been injured under various circumstances during the aggression. Moreover, a large number of social media activists have been targeted by the IOF, who systematically incite against them and threaten to kill them if they do not remain silent.

PCHR asserts that the targeting of journalists intends to isolate the victim and prevent the documentation of Israel’s genocidal acts against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. Thus, PCHR calls on the international community to openly condemn the targeting of journalists, to exert pressure on Israel, the occupying power, to immediately stop these attacks, and to urgently provide international protection for civilians, including journalists, in the Gaza Strip.

PCHR calls on the international community to pressure the occupying power to immediately stop targeting journalists and to take immediate action to provide international protection for civilians, including journalists, in the Gaza Strip. PCHR also urges the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its crimes, comply with the rules of international law, and provide protection for civilians. PCHR also calls upon the international journalists’ organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists, to act urgently to push towards holding Israel accountable for the killing and targeting of journalists in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip.