Did Israeli Tank Target Journalist?

Jump to Comments

A Palestinian cameraman may have been the target of an Israeli tank crew earlier this week in the Gaza Strip. Fadel Shana, 23 was one of the five civilians that died in the attack.

Human Rights Watch announced on Sunday that Wednesday’s attack “recklessly or deliberately” fired at the cameraman and his sound man. Shana was an employ of Reuters news agency.

“Israeli soldiers did not make sure they were aiming at a military target before firing, and there is evidence suggesting they actually targeted the journalists,” HRW’s Middle East director, Joe Stork, said in a statement.

The footage that Shana was shooting shows that there was no military action by Palestinian militants at the scene.

Sound man Wafa Abu Mizyed told HRW that as he and Shana traveled they passed an Israeli tank on a hilltop. The then stopped to film the surrounding area. According to Abu Mizyed there was no shooting in the area at this time. Some children had gathered around the journalists and Shana asked the cameraman to push them away. Shane was wearing a flak jacket clearly marked “Press” at the time.

Abu Mayzed then heard a “sound like boof”. Shana was on the ground praying. Three civilians were also killed in the blast, two of which were teenage boys on a bike. On Sunday two more teenage boys injured in the attack died.

Abu Mizyed ran towards the main road looking for help. His hands were both injured from the blast.

The final footage that Shana shot was that of an Israeli tank firing a shell. The screen then went black. Other journalists that arrived at the scene were also fired upon.

“The Reuters truck was clearly marked ‘TV’ and ‘Press’ and drove by the tank twice, so it’s hard to believe the Israeli tank crew didn’t see the pickup contained only journalists,” Stork said.

Israeli has stressed to journalists that they put their lives at risk when they enter combat zones.

0 Comments

Filed under war, world