Palestinians mourn after three members of the Al-Rjodi family were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday — AFP GAZA, Jan 21 (AFP): Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli strike in the centre of the territory on Wednesday killed three journalists, including a freelancer who regularly contributed for AFP, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations.
In a statement, the civil defence said "the bodies of the three journalists killed in an Israeli air strike in the Al-Zahra area southwest of Gaza City were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah".
It named the dead as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim.
Shaat had contributed regularly to AFP as a photo and video journalist, but at the time of the strike he was not on assignment for the agency. The Israeli military said it was checking the reports.
The civil defence, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, said in an earlier statement that an Israeli drone strike had targeted "a civilian vehicle" near Al-Zahra.
Israeli forces have killed at least 466 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
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