Abed Shaat fell asleep on Sunday evening, exhausted after covering Israeli air strikes all day.
The 33 -year -old independent photographer had returned to a tent in front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza where he was based with other journalists since the start of the War of Israel against Gaza.
Then they were woken up.
“I woke up to the sound of a huge explosion nearby,” said Shaat. “My colleagues and I immediately rushed out of the tent. [I had] My mobile phone to film.
“The strike had directly struck the journalists’ tent in front of us. I was horrified – to target journalists like this! ”
Burn to death
The tent belonged to the Palestine television station today.
“I started to take pictures from a distance, but as I got closer to the fire tent, I saw one of my colleagues on fire,” said Shaat.
“I couldn’t continue to film. I don’t even know how I summoned the courage to approach the flames and try to remove the burning person.
“The fire was intense. There was a gas cartridge that had exploded, and another that burned. I tried to remove it with his leg, but his pants were snatched in my hand. I tried from another angle, but I couldn’t.
“The fire became so strong, I fell back, I could no longer bear it. Then some men came with water to turn off the fire.
“I suddenly felt really weak … and I lost consciousness.”
The attack on Israel burned the journalist from Palestine Hilmi al-Faqaawi to death with another man named Yousef al-Khazindar.
Journalists Hassan Eslai, Ahmed al-Agha, Muhammad Fayek, Abdallah al-Attar, Ihab al-Bardini and Mahmoud Awad were also injured.
The Israeli army said that on X launched the attack to capture Hassan Abdel Fattah Muhammad Islayh (Eslaih), alleging that he was a member of Hamas pretending to be a journalist.
Eslaih, a journalist with a large suite from social media, was seriously injured in the strike. He had been threatened several times by the Israeli authorities for having covered an attack on an Israeli Kibbutz during the attacks led by Hamas against South Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Israeli army also said that it was necessary to “reduce the chances of harming civilians”, but did not explain why he had chosen to bomb a tent of sleeping journalists to capture one.
“Nothing new in … crimes against journalists”
More than 200 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, according to Palestinian journalists Syndicate, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists.
The tent targeted on Monday was outside one of the largest hospitals in the south of Gaza.
Journalists have gathered in hospitals since the start of the War of Israel against Gaza, looking for a relatively stable internet service, electricity and safety in number. Residents said journalists had been stationed and reported by Nasser hospital throughout the conflict.
“We live, sleep and work there. We see ourselves more than we see our own families, ”said Shaat. “What connects us … is more than work.”
Experts told Al Jazeera in September that the murder of Israel of journalists in Gaza was showing a clear targeting scheme for journalists.
“There is nothing new in the crimes of the Israeli occupation against journalists,” Jad Shahrour, spokesperson for the Samir Kassir Foundation, a watchdog from Media Watchdog based in Beirut.
“It was not the first time during this war, from October 7 to today, whether in Lebanon or Gaza, the Israeli army directly targets journalists.
“It is, of course, according to international law, a war crime, and nothing justifies it.”
The other journalists killed in Gaza since the start of the war include Al Jazeera journalist Mubasher Hossam Shabat and the journalist of Al Jazeera Hamza Dahdouh, son of the chief of the Al Jazeera Gaza office, Wael Dahdouh.
The two journalists were killed in targeted attacks on their cars, and Israel justified his actions by saying that they were part of armed groups but did not provide proof for the allegations.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 50,700 people in Gaza, most of whom are children or women and, therefore, are not considered members of “terrorist groups” in the classification of Israel. Many civilians – a protected group under international law – have also been killed.
Journalists Without Borders told Al Jazeera that he was investigating the attack on Monday.
Who is the turn to?
Gaza journalists walk with targets on their backs, media rights organizations said.
“Israel deliberately bombes journalists because he does not want anyone to signal the situation,” said Shahrour.
The idea, said groups, is to discourage the reports of possible war crimes that Israel is committed to allowing Israel to avoid any responsibility. The Palestinian journalists’ union gave a press conference on Monday, calling for the international responsibility of Israel’s crimes against journalists in Gaza.
Addressing Al Jazeera just after his return from the Al-Faqaawi funeral, Shaat spoke of the deep psychological scars that experience has left him.
“Even now, I don’t think I can go beyond what I saw. I never imagined in my life that I would pull someone while they were on fire.”
He suffered minor burns on both hands during the rescue attempt and can no longer hold a camera.
“I feel completely paralyzed.
“This is not the first time that someone is burning to death, and it is not the first time that journalists have been directly targeted,” said Shaat.
“We still don’t know who it will be next.”
