An Israeli airstrike killed at least two Palestinian journalists on Wednesday, including an Al Jazeera correspondent who told the world about the conditions he and other members of the press faced while detained by Israeli soldiers raiding Gaza’s largest hospital earlier this year.
Correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi, both 27 years old, were driving in the al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City when they were struck by an Israeli missile. Just minutes earlier, the two were reporting live to Al Jazeera from near the destroyed home of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’ political wing who was assassinated by Israel on Tuesday in Iran.
The strike killed both journalists, who were wearing the blue press vest that over the last 10 months has become a kind of symbol for press solidarity and Palestinian freedom around the world. The attack also killed a child who happened to be riding his bicycle in the area when the missile hit.
Extremely graphic photos and video of the scene of the strike show what appears to be al-Ghoul sitting in the driver’s seat of his now-destroyed white car, which was marked as a press vehicle. He is decapitated, with no sign of his head in photos of him behind the wheel.
Footage also shows Gaza Civil Defence workers recovering the journalists’ remains from the car, collecting pieces of their shredded bodies in plastic bags. The men were taken to al-Ahli Arab Hospital, where journalists and loved ones gathered to mourn before their shrouded bodies that still donned tattered, bloodied press jackets, according to Al Jazeera.
“Despite facing extreme hardships, including hunger, illness, and the loss of his father and brother, Ismail relentlessly dedicated himself to covering events and delivering the reality of Gaza to the world,” Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement, pledging to pursue legal action.
“The assassination of Ismail and Rami, while they were documenting the crimes of Israeli forces, underscores the urgent need for immediate legal action against the occupation forces to ensure that there is no impunity.”
Al Jazeera condemns the assassination of its correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al Rifi by Israeli forces. pic.twitter.com/uPXFES4srV
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 31, 2024
Fellow journalists praised al-Ghoul for his humane reporting on Israel’s offensive on Gaza, which began in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed and about 240 others were taken hostage.
Since then, Israeli military actions have led to the destruction of Gaza and the mass killing and suffering of Palestinians, with a particular focus on the Gaza Strip’s northern region. At least 39,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, according to figures reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
“I had this call with Ismail a couple of days ago, and we were talking about helping Palestinians sick in the northern parts and trying to find a way to evacuate [them] to the southern parts of the Gaza Strip,” Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary, who has covered the deaths of many of her fellow journalists, shakily said through tears during a live broadcast outside of the hospital.
“Ismail was not only a journalist, but he was trying his best to help everyone in the north, to help find food for everyone in the north,” she said. “He was just a very kind person.”
Al-Ghoul grabbed the world’s attention earlier this year when he reported on his own arrest by Israeli soldiers who were raiding Gaza’s largest medical facility, al-Shifa Hospital. The two-week siege trapped tens of thousands of people at the hospital, effectively turning the complex into a graveyard.
Al-Ghoul and dozens of other journalists were documenting the raid in March when soldiers destroyed their broadcast equipment, tents and vehicles before detaining them. Journalists were stripped, handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten for hours, al-Ghoul reported, and Israeli troops would open fire if they sensed any movement from the detained press. He said he was finally able to leave the compound by helping escort an elderly man who had been released.
After he was freed, al-Ghoul posted a hashtag in Arabic on X that roughly translates to: “Coverage continues.”
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 111 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the current wave of fighting began Oct. 7, all but five of whom are Palestinian. The Gaza media office has put the figure at closer to 165 Palestinian journalists. Israel’s military offensive has become the deadliest conflict for journalists that CPJ has documented in 30 years.
Specifically, Israeli forces have killedmultiple Al Jazeera journalists since October 7, according to the media outlet. Israeli officials have long voiced their opposition to the Qatar-based network, bombing its Gaza office and banning its journalists from reporting in Israel.
The US State Department says it has requested more information about Wednesday’s strike, while United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for a full investigation.
Mohamed Moawad, Al Jazeera’s managing editor, posted on X what he said was “Ismail’s tribute to himself and the dying humanity” before he was killed.
“I can no longer bear the sound of children’s voices from beneath the rubble, nor can I forget the energy and power that reverberates at every moment, turning into a nightmare,” al-Ghoul wrote, according to Moawad.
“It is no longer easy for me to stand before the rows of coffins, which are locked and extended, or to see the dead people more than the living who are fighting death beneath their homes, not finding a way out to safety and survival. I am tired, my friend.”
