Palestinians inspect the van where five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza. EPA
Palestinians inspect the van where five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza. EPA
Palestinians inspect the van where five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza. EPA
Palestinians inspect the van where five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza. EPA

Israeli strike kills five journalists inside television broadcasting van in Gaza


Nada AlTaher
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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Five journalists inside a television broadcasting van were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza on Thursday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, marking an escalation after the breakdown of recent efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement.

The journalists from Al Quds Al Youm television are Faisal Abu Al Qumsan, Ayman Al Jadi, Mohammad Al Lad'a, Fadi Hassouna and Ibrahim Al Sheikh Ali. Despite the broadcasting van marked with "press" in red, the Israeli army claimed it attacked a "terrorist cell" and conducted "precise" strikes in the area of Nuseirat where the journalists were killed.

At least 190 journalists have been killed since Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel. More than 45,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian enclave.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the strike, accusing Israel of carrying out the attacking media professionals deliberately, in an attempt to "obscure the truth" and "tighten the noose on freedom of expression".

Journalists Faisal Abu Al Qumsan, Ayman Al Jadi, Mohammad Al Lad'a, Fadi Hassouna and Ibrahim Al Sheikh Ali were killed in an Israeli strike on a clearly marked press van in central Gaza on Thursday, December 26. Wafa
Journalists Faisal Abu Al Qumsan, Ayman Al Jadi, Mohammad Al Lad'a, Fadi Hassouna and Ibrahim Al Sheikh Ali were killed in an Israeli strike on a clearly marked press van in central Gaza on Thursday, December 26. Wafa

Journalists are a protected class of civilians under international humanitarian law and an attacks on them constitutes a war crime.

"This continuing targeting is a war crime according to international conventions and constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights and freedom of the press," the syndicate said in a statement. "The Palestinian press will continue to carry out its message with determination and resolve, despite the occupation's continuous attempts to stop or threaten it."

After reports suggested a ceasefire to end the devastating war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages was within reach, hopes were dashed as negotiations appeared deadlocked, sources told The National.

Negotiations have been suspended in the Egypt and Qatar after mediators failed to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas over key issues. They include the list of Palestinian detainees the militant group wants to be freed from Israeli jails, in exchange for the release of hostages seized from Israel last year, the sources said.

Another stumbling block was Israel's reluctance to commit to a timetable for withdrawal from the narrow strip on the Palestinian side of the Egypt-Gaza border and Hamas's insistence on a guarantee from the US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would continue after the hostage-detainee swap was completed.

Israel escalated its attacks in Gaza after the breakdown of negotiations. In the north, it detonated explosives carried by robots outside of the Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals, both of which have been nearly completely emptied of doctors and patients. The army issued eviction orders for patients, claiming to be targeting militants' infrastructure, but doctors said the orders were "impossible" to fulfil with no means of transport and a brutal siege under way.

On Thursday, at least 10 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the northern areas of Al Sabra near Gaza city and Jabalia, Wafa reported, quoting health officials. Eight people, including children, were killed in a single attack on a residential building.

Medical sources said at least 10 per cent of Gaza's entire population of 2.1 million are either killed, injured or missing as a result of Israel's war on the enclave.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have been trying for more than a year to end the 14-month Gaza war and secure the release of the hostages. The only truce they successfully negotiated was for about a week in November last year, when Hamas released about 100 Israeli and other hostages.

Hamas took about 250 hostages when it attacked southern Israel in October last year, killing about 1,200 people and causing a devastating military response by Israel. Its military believes Hamas is still holding about 100 Israeli and other hostages, with about 40 having died in captivity. Hamas has never publicly said how many hostages it is holding or given information on their condition.

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Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

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Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

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Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
 

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His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

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