Five journalists in Gaza were killed in an Israeli strike

A Palestinian TV channel reports that five of its journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip.

They were in a Quds Today van parked outside Al-Awda Hospital, where the wife of one of the journalists was about to give birth, in Nuseirat Central Refugee Camp.

The TV channel published a video of a burning car with the words “press” on the back door.

Israel’s air force said it attacked a vehicle carrying members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group in a “targeted and intelligence-led” attack. It added that measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties.

The BBC was unable to verify the claims made by either side.

Quds Today is affiliated with the PIJ group, which was involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The unprecedented attack sparked the war in Gaza.

In addition, five people were reported killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday.

Palestinian news agency Wafa and Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry also said another 20 people were wounded in the vicinity of the town of Ezzeytoun.

The Israeli military did not comment on the explosion.

Also on Wednesday, Hamas and Israel blamed each other for delays in a last-ditch effort to reach a truce.

Hamas has accused the Israeli government of imposing “new conditions” that it says have delayed the deal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the group was reneging on already reached agreements on a possible ceasefire.

The latest statements mark a marked change in tone from both sides.

Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar, the mediator, after “significant talks” – and Palestinian negotiators earlier told the BBC that talks were 90% complete, except for a few issues.

The Israeli military launched airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to last year’s attack by Hamas. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack, and another 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. According to the UN, almost two million people – 90% of the population – were forced to relocate.

Additional reporting by Yaroslav Lukiv.