Al Jazeera says 2 journalists seriously injured in Israeli strike near Rafah
Two Al Jazeera journalists, Ismail Abu Omar and Ahmad Matar, were injured on Tuesday during an Israeli airstrike north of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported. Abu Omar, a reporter, and Matar, a cameraman, were "seriously injured" and are being treated at the European Hospital near Khan Younis, Al Jazeera English reported, adding that Abu Omar has had to have his leg amputated. CNN has reached out to Al Jazeera and the Israel Defense Forces.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of Tuesday, at least 85 journalists and media workers have been killed in the fighting since October 7. It marks the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
Remember: In December, an Al Jazeera journalist died after an Israeli attack in southern Gaza. Camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa died of wounds sustained in the attack, the Qatar-based network said, adding that he was bleeding for hours before medical personnel could reach him due to heavy shelling in the city. Four other Al Jazeera journalists have been injured during the war, CPJ says, including three in southern Lebanon, as well as Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, whose wife, daughter, son and grandson were killed in an attack on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza in late October.
Statement: Al Jazeera condemns the Israeli Army’s deliberate targeting of its correspondent in Rafah, Ismail Abu Omar
Today, Tuesday, February 13, 2024, Israeli occupation forces targeted the Al Jazeera crew in the Mirage area, north of Rafah, by a drone, seriously injuring Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail Abu Omar, which led to the amputation of his leg and the serious injury of photojournalist Ahmed Matar.
Al Jazeera Media Network confirms that targeting of the reporter Ismail and the photographer Ahmed is a full-fledged crime added to Israel’s crimes against journalists, and a new part in the series of the deliberate targeting of Al Jazeera’s journalists and correspondents in Palestine. The network stresses that this targeting comes as intimidation to journalists to prevent them from reporting the heinous crimes committed by the occupation army against innocent civilians in Gaza.
Al Jazeera renews its call on the international community and media freedom organizations to take immediate measures to protect journalists in Gaza and to hold the Israeli occupation army accountable.
‘Everyone is a target’
Our colleagues, Ismail Abu Omar, an Al Jazeera correspondent, as well as his cameraman Ahmad Matar in northern Rafah, were documenting the living conditions of displaced Palestinian families. They were documenting the horror that they experienced within the past 24 hours as massive air strikes on major parts of Rafah city – where close to 100 people were killed – when they were directly targeted by a missile fired by a drone.
They were transferred to Gaza European Hospital, where they underwent immediate surgeries. Unfortunately, Omar went through surgery where his leg had to be amputated as the shrapnel fractured his bones to the point that [his leg] was not attached properly. The doctors had to amputate his leg to save his life.
A video screengrab showing Ismail Abu Omar being at the operating room of the European Hospital in Khan Younis
Muhammad Al-Astal, an emergency physician at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, said “Al Jazeera’s correspondent, Ismail Abu Omar, arrived at the makeshift hospital after suffering severe injuries. He was targeted by a drone missile in Muraj, [north of Rafah]". “Upon examination, his right leg had already been severed. In addition, he had shrapnel lodged in his chest and head, as well as his left leg. We suspect his femoral artery might have been severed at the bottom of his leg.”
“We administered the necessary first aid before transferring him to the European Hospital, where he was rushed to the operating room. He was bleeding heavily and lost a lot of blood, to the degree that his blood pressure and pulse were not readable,” the doctor continued. “This means he’s in a very critical condition and may lose his life. We pray for his recovery.”
This is not the first incident and we are expecting this is not the last one. There is ongoing, systematic, almost consistent attacks on journalists – there are more than 100 journalists since the beginning of this war who have been targeted.
Journalists ‘clearly targeted’ in Israel’s war on Gaza: International Press Institute
Frane Maroevic, the executive director of the International Press Institute (IPI), has told Al Jazeera from Vienna that most of the journalists killed or injured in Israel’s war on Gaza were wearing a vest and a helmet clearly identifying them as press. “We see journalists clearly targeted because press symbols used to be defence … now, it seems to be a target,” he said.
“Our organisation is completely outraged by this situation … Our organisation has been monitoring press freedom for almost 75 years and this is the worst attack we have seen on journalists in any conflict,” Maroevic added. He also said that all 25 members of his organisation’s executive board were expressing their “solidarity with journalists in Gaza who are under this terrible attack in this appalling situation”.
Gaza government condemns ‘deliberate’ targeting of Al Jazeera crew
The Government Media Office in Gaza denounced the “targeting of the Al Jazeera channel crew for the fifth time” in an attack it said was “deliberate”. “This targeting comes within the framework of intimidation of journalists” to prevent media coverage of the military offensive in Gaza, it said. At least 126 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7 while 10 others have been arrested by Israeli forces, according to government figures.
