A Palestinian TV channel reports that five of its journalists lost their lives in an Israeli strike in central Gaza.
The journalists were in a Quds Today van parked outside al-Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where the wife of one journalist was awaiting the birth of their child.
A Palestinian TV channel shared a video showing what it claimed was its burning vehicle, marked with “press” signage on the back doors.
The Israeli Air Force stated it had conducted a “targeted” strike based on intelligence, aiming at a vehicle carrying Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants. It added that steps were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
The BBC has not independently verified the claims from either side.
Quds Today, the channel involved, is affiliated with the PIJ group, which participated in the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. That unprecedented attack sparked the current conflict in Gaza.
Separately, five people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday.
According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency and the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, an additional 20 people were injured in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood of the city.
The Israeli military has not commented on these reported strikes.
On Wednesday, Hamas and Israel traded accusations over delays in the latest ceasefire negotiations.
Hamas claimed the Israeli government was introducing “new conditions” that were holding up an agreement. Conversely, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backtracking on previously agreed terms for a potential ceasefire.
These statements reflect a shift in tone from both sides. On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office announced that Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar, the mediating party, after “significant negotiations.” Palestinian negotiators had previously told the BBC that talks were 90% complete, with only a few issues remaining.
The Israeli military launched airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza following last year’s Hamas attack, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 taken to Gaza as hostages.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive. The UN reports that nearly two million people, or 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced.
An Israeli military investigation has concluded that ground operations in Gaza likely influenced Hamas’s decision to kill six hostages in August.
The report stated that the “gradual and cautious” actions of Israeli forces in the Rafah area “had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision” to execute the hostages.
The investigation also revealed that the soldiers were unaware of the hostages’ presence when the operation began. The victims’ bodies were later recovered.
The killings provoked widespread outrage in Israel, with hundreds of thousands protesting in the streets, calling for the government to secure a ceasefire agreement.
In late August, Israeli troops discovered the bodies of six hostages in an underground shaft in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah. According to the military, the hostages were killed just before soldiers reached them.
The investigation, described by Israel’s chief of the general staff, called the incident “a painful and tragic event” resulting in “the brutal murder of six hostages by Hamas.”
In a statement, The Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized that the investigation highlighted the urgency of securing the release of all those captured during Hamas’s deadly 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, suggesting that such outcomes would only be achievable through a negotiated deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has faced mounting criticism for not doing enough to secure the hostages’ release.
Israel responded to the October attack with a series of airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports over 45,000 Palestinians killed during the 14-month conflict, with nearly two million people—90% of the population—displaced, according to the UN.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been described by the UN and aid agencies as “apocalyptic,” warning that residents are on “the brink of famine.” They have accused Israel of obstructing aid deliveries, which Israel denies.
Since the October attack, 251 Israelis and foreigners were reported captured. Israel believes 96 hostages remain unaccounted for, with 62 thought to still be alive. Four other hostages have been held since 2014 and 2015.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire and the hostages’ release continue. While Netanyahu has acknowledged “some progress,” he has refrained from offering a timeline, and no breakthrough has been achieved. Palestinian officials previously told the BBC they were close to reaching a deal.
Negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas are reportedly 90% complete, but key unresolved issues remain, a senior Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.
One major point of contention is Israel’s ongoing military presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strategically significant strip of land along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
The official, speaking from Doha where the discussions are taking place, revealed that the talks also include proposals for a buffer zone spanning several kilometers along Israel’s border with Gaza. According to the official, Israel would maintain a military presence within this buffer zone.
If key issues are resolved, a three-stage ceasefire agreement could be finalized within days, according to the Palestinian official involved in the negotiations.
The proposed deal includes the exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for each female soldier released during the first phase of the ceasefire. While the specific names of the prisoners have yet to be determined, the list reportedly consists of around 400 individuals serving sentences of 25 years or more in Israeli prisons. Senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti is not expected to be included, as Israel is likely to veto his release.
Israeli hostages would also be released in stages, as Hamas is believed to be working to locate some of the remaining captives. Of the 96 hostages still held in Gaza, Israel estimates that 62 are alive.
The plan would allow Gazan civilians to return to northern areas under a system overseen by Egypt and Qatar. Additionally, around 500 aid trucks per day would be permitted to enter Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis.
In the final stage of the agreement, aimed at ending the 14-month conflict, Gaza would be administered by a committee of technocrats from the region. These individuals would have no prior political affiliations but would be supported by all Palestinian factions.