With killing of an Al Jazeera journalist, death toll of journalists in Israeli strike surpasses 90

In an Israeli drone attack on a Gaza school, Al Jazeera's Samer Abudaqa was killed, prompting the Media Network to describe it as the systematic targeting and killing of journalists and their families by Israel.

The incident occurred during a bombing in Khan Younis, where Israeli drones fired missiles at a school serving as a refuge for civilians, resulting in indiscriminate casualties.

Al Jazeera's condemnation extended to the alleged prevention of ambulances and rescue workers from reaching the injured Samer Abudaqa, who bled to death over a prolonged period of more than five hours.

The international media network mourned the loss of their colleague and urged the global community, media freedom organizations, and the International Criminal Court to take immediate action, holding the Israeli government and military accountable for what they term as acts of carnage and crimes against humanity.

The death toll among journalists and media workers in Gaza has now exceeded 90, adding to the growing concerns about the safety of media personnel in conflict zones.

Meanwhile, the United Nations documented a surge in Israeli settler violence and the displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since October 7, violence by Israeli settlers has forced at least 189 families to flee their homes, with a staggering 582 children among the displaced.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that Israeli authorities demolished Palestinian homes, leaving 338 people, including 182 children, without a place to reside. Punitive demolitions by Israel's military in the occupied West Bank also left 88 people homeless.

The UN Human Rights Committee, in 2014, concluded that punitive demolitions constitute a form of collective punishment, deemed illegal under international law. The report underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories, calling attention to the need for a resolution to the longstanding conflict.

In a separate development, the Israeli military acknowledged a tragic incident where three hostages were mistakenly identified as a threat and killed during combat in the Shejaiya area of Gaza City.

The hostages, identified as Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa, had been taken during a Hamas attack on October 7. The circumstances of their deaths remained unclear, with the Israeli Defense Forces expressing deep sorrow and launching an investigation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to the families of the hostages, acknowledging the nation's grief over the loss of their "dear sons."

Amid the ongoing conflict, Al Jazeera initially reported injuries to their video journalist Samer Abu Daqqa and chief correspondent Wael al-Dahdouh, attributing the injuries to shrapnel during reporting at a school hit by an earlier airstrike.

However, a subsequent statement from Al Jazeera blamed a drone strike for Samer Abu Daqqa's injuries, accusing Israeli forces of preventing timely medical assistance.