Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Up to five civilians, including four journalists, were injured in alleged Israeli strikes on al-Sheikh Zayid area in Beit Lahia on May 13, 2021.
Middle East Monitor reported that two Anadolu Agency journalists were injured in Israeli strikes on northern Gaza. Photojournalist Mustafa Hassouna and cameraman Mohammad al-Aloul were injured while covering an Israeli strike. Their injuries were described as moderate and Anadolu Agency added that their condition was considered “stable” according to doctors at the Indonesian Hospital. The videographer, Muhammad Al-Aloul, was later transferred to Al-Quds Hospital for treatment.
A tweet from @Shaheerelheluo added that Daoud Abu Al-Ras, photographer for Palestine Today Agency, was also injured in the strikes. @sanayhammoud added that journalist Mohammed Abu Don was also injured but did not identify which media source he was affiliated with.
Mohammad al-Aloul, one of the journalists injured, posted on Facebook “my fellow journalists, Mustafa Hassona, Daoud Abu Al-Kas, and the driver, Mahmoud Abu Tamer, and I were subjected to a direct bombardment of our car bearing the press sign while covering the current events in northern Gaza. I am now in good condition and I am undergoing treatment so that the treatment period needs more than six months.”
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the Israeli missile was fired at 7:30pm at the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ licensing headquarters in al-Sheikh Zayid area in Beit Lahia and struck a Skoda Octavia car belonging to Careem Taxi Company that was traveling in the area and carrying the journalists.
The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip released a statement about the targeting of journalists: “We condemn the Israeli targeting of a car carrying a (press) insignia carrying Palestinian journalists, during their news coverage in the village of Umm al-Nasr, north of Gaza, which resulted in light and medium injuries.” The statement considered that this is a “blatant violation and aggression of international humanitarian law” and called on international organizations concerned with freedom of opinion and expression to “pressure the occupation to stop the attacks against journalists and media outlets in the Palestinian territories, and to provide them with protection and their headquarters.”
Turkey’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, also released a statement on the strikes: “Again, our Anadolu Agency staff were injured in the attacks by Israel, which continues terrorizing [people] without differentiating between women, children, young and old people.” He also wished a speedy recovery to the injured cameraman Mohammad al-Aloul and photojournalist Mustafa Hassouna.
@jala_leb pointed out that the journalists were in a car together when they were struck by an Israeli missile and at the time, they were covering the bombing of the Bedouin village.
In images posted by various sources, you can see the journalists wearing their press vests to clearly identify them as civilians, as well as the car they are riding in was clearly marked as press/TV.
All of the sources attributed the strikes to Israel.
The incident occured at approximately 7:30 pm local time.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (29) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by @OmarElQattaa)
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by @khaledkraizim)
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Strikes in Sheikh Zayed area on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by Jafra News)
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Strikes in Sheikh Zayed area on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by Khabar Masr News)
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by Mohammad Al Alol , one of the injured journalists)
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by Mohammad Al Alol , one of the injured journalists)
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Journalists injured while covering strikes in North Gaza on May 13, 2021. (Image posted by Hosalem via Facebook)
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Anadolu Agency's cameraman Mohammad al-Aloul is being carried with a stretcher to be transferred for his treatment Al-Quds Hospital following an emergency treatment at Indonesian hospital after he and photojournalist Mustafa Hassouna were injured while covering an Israeli strike in the northern Gaza Strip on May 13, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza. ( Ali Jadallah - Anadolu Agency )
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2 Anadolu Agency journalists injured by Israeli raid in Gaza Photojournalist Mustafa Hassouna and cameraman Mohammad al-Aloul were injured while covering an Israeli strike in the northern Gaza Strip (Anadolu Agency)
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention the neighborhood of Al Sheikh Zayed (الشيخ زايد), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.537275, 34.515919. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.