Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera cameraman in central Gaza
An Israeli strike on a residential home in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist and cameraman Ahmed Samir Wishah on Saturday.
He was among two people killed, while at least one other Palestinian was injured in the strike, according to Al Jazeera reporters on the ground.
The broadcaster said it “strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing” of the correspondent.
“This constitutes a new and flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth,” it said in a statement.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike and said Wishah was a "Hamas terrorist", but did not provide evidence.
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His death brought the number of Palestinians killed on Saturday to at least 10.
Among the other casualties were four members of the same family, including two children, whose home was struck in central Gaza City.
A man was killed in an attack to the north of Gaza City, while a woman was killed by Israeli fire in the northern Beit Lahia area, according to Al Jazeera reporters.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it was "alarmed" by Wishah's killing, saying it is "underscoring the devastating toll this war continues to take on journalists".
"CPJ is investigating the circumstances of this incident and calls for a thorough and transparent inquiry by the Israeli authorities," the organisation said.
CPJ is alarmed by reports that Al Jazeera cameraman #Ahmed_Samir_Washah was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential home in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Washah’s death comes just two months after the killing of his brother, journalist Muhammad… pic.twitter.com/jw6MtA64Pq
— CPJ MENA (@CPJMENA) June 20, 2026
Wishah's brother, Mohammed Samir Washah, was killed on 8 April when an Israeli double-tap strike hit his vehicle as he was travelling to cover a story. He also worked for Al Jazeera Mubasher.
His colleagues said they had feared for his safety for months after an Israeli incitement campaign targeted him over his reporting of the genocide in Gaza.
According to the CPJ, at least 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Wishah is the 12th Al Jazeera staff member killed in the Gaza Strip during the war.
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