Al Jazeera cameraman shot in neck by Israeli army during Gaza coverage

An Israeli quadcopter drone shot Al Jazeera’s cameraman, who was wearing a press jacket, during coverage of the siege of the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

The journalist, identified as Fadi Al-Wahidi, was severely injured after being shot in the neck by the Israeli army.

A live broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic showed Al-Wahidi’s colleagues rushing to his aid as he lay injured on the roadside.

Al Jazeera’s crew transported the cameraman to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to sources.

🇮🇱🇵🇸‼️🚨 The moment Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi Al Wahidi was shot in the neck while covering. pic.twitter.com/vdqmxJTHCI

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) October 9, 2024

This is not the first time the Israeli army has deliberately targeted journalists wearing press jackets without any provocation.

At least 176 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, while covering the Israeli military offensive. They were clearly marked as journalists by the vests they wore.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, the occupation army arrested 36 journalists, later releasing four, while 32 remain detained.

Al Jazeera was banned by Israel in September, following a raid by IDF soldiers who handed over a permanent closure notice to the bureau office in Ramallah, West Bank.

Despite facing violence and threats, Palestinian journalists continue to report on Israeli war crimes, while all communication with Gaza has been cut off as Israeli forces blacked out phone and internet connections in the enclave.

The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached at least 42,709 with more than 97,590 wounded. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.