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.
A funeral ceremony is held Wednesday for Palestinian journalists Ismail al-Ghoul and Rami al-Rifi, who were killed in an Israeli attack west of Gaza City.
Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images
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 Defense 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.”
Fellow journalists praised al-Ghoul for his humane reporting on Israel’s offensive on Gaza, which began in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 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,