A Palestinian television station reports that five of its journalists were killed in an Israeli attack in the central Gaza Strip.
They were in a Quds Today van parked outside Al-Awda Hospital in the central Nuseirat refugee camp, where the wife of one of the journalists was about to give birth.
The station released a video of the vehicle allegedly burning with “press” signs on the back doors.
The Israeli Air Force said it “targeted and under intelligence guidance” attacked a vehicle carrying members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group. Measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
The BBC was unable to verify either side’s claims.
Quds Today is affiliated with the PIJ group, which was involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The unprecedented attack sparked war in Gaza.
In another development, five people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza also reported that another 20 people were injured in the al-Zeitoun district.
The Israeli military has not commented on the reported bombing.
Also on Wednesday, Hamas and Israel blamed each other for delays in the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire.
Hamas accused the Israeli government of imposing “new conditions” that it said would delay the deal.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the group was violating agreements already reached on a possible ceasefire.
The latest statements mark a notable change in tone on both sides.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office said Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar, which is acting as mediator, after “significant negotiations” – and previous Palestinian negotiators told the BBC that talks were 90% complete except for a few points.
In response to the Hamas attack last year, the Israeli military launched air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack and another 251 were returned to Gaza as hostages.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive. According to the United Nations, nearly two million people – 90% of the population – have been displaced.
Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv.
