Three Palestinian journalists among 11 killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza

Three journalists were among at least 11 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday, local authorities said, as Israel escalated its attacks in violation of the ceasefire

"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," Gaza's civil defence said.

The journalists were identified as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghuneim.

Shaat had contributed regularly to AFP as a photo and video journalist, but at the time of the attack, he was not on assignment for the agency, AFP said.

Separate Israeli attacks in central and southern Gaza killed at least eight others, including two children, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

The journalists had been working with an Egyptian humanitarian organisation to document the conditions of displaced Palestinians in central Gaza. Shaat had previously worked as a freelance contributor for Agence France-Presse.

An eyewitness told AFP that the journalists were using a drone at the time of the strike to film the distribution of aid by the Egyptian Relief Committee.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a "drone affiliated with Hamas".

Hamas described the attack as a "dangerous escalation of the flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement".

'Systematic and deliberate'

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate condemned the strike "in the strongest terms", describing it as part of a "systematic and deliberate policy pursued by the Israeli occupation to intentionally target Palestinian journalists".

Israeli forces have killed more than 200 journalists since launching their assault on Gaza.

Prior to Wednesday's attack, the Committee to Protect Journalists had documented the deaths of at least 249 media workers since 7 October 2023.

The deadliest single incident occurred in August, when an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital killing five journalists.

Boy killed collecting firewood

Elsewhere, an Israeli strike in central Gaza killed three members of the same family, including a child, medics at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said.

In the south, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 13-year-old boy while he was collecting firewood east of Khan Younis, medical sources told The Associated Press. A 32-year-old woman was also shot dead near the city, Al Jazeera reported.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued near-daily military operations and restrictions on aid delivery.

The Gaza Government Media Office says it has documented more than 1,300 violations of the truce during the 100 days it has been in effect.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military issued its first displacement order since the ceasefire, ordering dozens of families to flee a village east of Khan Younis.

More than 480 Palestinians have been killed and 1,287 wounded by Israeli forces during that period, according to the office.

Israeli troops have also continued demolishing thousands of buildings, flattening entire neighbourhoods on both sides of the Yellow Line separating Israeli-occupied territory from the rest of Gaza.