Israeli attack kills Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Wishah in Gaza
Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Wishah has been killed in an Israeli drone strike in the Gaza Strip.
Wishah, a correspondent in Gaza for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was killed on Wednesday after the attack hit a car he was travelling in on al-Rashid Street, the coastal road that runs west of Gaza City. The air strike caused the car to burst into flames, sources told Al Jazeera.
Israel has been targeting journalists in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023. The Gaza Government Media Office says at least 262 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since then.
Civilians under fire by gangs in Gaza: What happened in Maghazi?
The gunfight the Nteel family was terrifyingly caught up in on Monday was just one part of a series of raids and clashes by armed gang members on the east side of the camp, which resulted in the killing of at least 10 Palestinians and the injury of dozens more that day, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital reports.
The Ministry of Health also reported 10 deaths in the violence in Maghazi as well as 44 people injured on Monday. Local people claim the armed men were provided with cover and support by Israeli forces.
The attack began when armed groups approached from the direction of the yellow line, moving towards civilian homes and the Al-Maghazi Preparatory Boys School, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is sheltering large numbers of displaced people.
The groups are spread geographically across Gaza, operating near front lines, where they have taken advantage of the collapse in security caused by the war. Analysts say reports indicate they mostly consist of small numbers and operate outside traditional structures.
There is one in the far north, in Beit Lahiya; and a second, also in the north, in eastern Gaza City, particularly Shujayea. In central Gaza, mostly east of Deir al-Balah, there is a third group responsible for the Maghazi attack. In the south, there is a fourth group in eastern Khan Younis. There is also a fifth group in the south, in Rafah.
These groups appear to operate near areas along the “yellow line”.
The Gaza Centre for Human Rights claims that Israel is increasingly supporting these groups to carry out operations within densely populated camps and neighbourhoods.
It said armed drones provided direct support on Monday, firing heavily and randomly into alleys in the camp to aid the armed men’s withdrawal. The centre added that it has documented previous violence by these groups, including looting of aid convoys, kidnappings, torture and killings, with cover or support from the Israeli army.
Legally, it pointed out, forming and supporting such armed groups constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1951.
The emergence of these armed groups in Gaza represents a “dangerous escalation and evasion of legal responsibility”, the human rights group said. It called on the international community and the United Nations to launch an urgent independent investigation, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure effective protection for civilians.
