Palestinian family members and colleagues carry the bodies of Palestinian journalists killed in an Israeli strike, as they leave the Nasser Hospital for burial, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 21, 2026. BASHAR TALEB / AFP
An Israeli air strike killed an AFP freelancer and two other journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, January 21, the territory's civil defense agency said, while the military said it struck "suspects" operating a drone. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations.
In a statement, the civil defense said three journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike in the Al-Zahra area southwest of Gaza City, naming the dead as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim. Shaat had contributed regularly to AFP as a photo and video journalist, but at the time of the strike he was not on assignment for the agency.
In a statement, AFP said it was mourning the loss of Shaat, who would be remembered as a "kind-hearted colleague, with a gentle sense of humour, humor, humour, and as a deeply committed journalist."
Subscribers only
