Gaza doctors: Israeli shell killed cameraman

Journalists have become casualties on numerous occasions in the Palestinian territories. Media watchdogs estimate that nine have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 2000.

An Israeli soldier shot a Reuters photographer in the leg in Gaza in October. Two Reuters journalists were wounded by an Israeli tank shell in the enclave in 2003.

Also in 2003, one of the most widely renowned Palestinian journalists to work for Reuters, television cameraman Mazen Dana, was shot dead by a U.S. soldier in Baghdad. Six other Reuters journalists have been killed in that conflict.

Investigation
David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters News, said the evidence from the medical examination "underlines the importance of a swift, honest and impartial investigation by the Israel Defense Forces and by the government."

"The markings on Fadel Shana's vehicle showed clearly and unambiguously that he was a professional journalist doing his duty. We and the military must work together urgently to understand why this tragedy took place and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future," Schlesinger added.

Asked about the information that an Israeli flechette shell had killed Shana, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: "The Israel Defence Forces do not, as a rule, comment on the weapons they use. But its weapons are legal under international law.

"Flechettes are legal under international law and a petition filed in the (Israeli) Supreme Court against their use was rejected," she added, referring to a case in 2003.

Video from Shana's camera showed the tank opening fire. Two seconds after the shot raises dust around its gun, the tape goes blank — seemingly at the moment Shana was hit.

A frame-by-frame examination of the tape shows the shell exploding in the air and dark shapes shooting out from it.

Describing Shana's last moments, Abu Mizyed said he was moving away a group of children who were disturbing the cameraman when he heard an explosion behind him.

Turning around, he saw Shana and two youngsters — who also died — lying in pools of blood.

Doubts cast on cease-fire efforts
Wednesday’s death toll, which included the killing of three Israeli soldiers in a Hamas ambush, was the highest since a broad Israeli military offensive in early March killed more than 120 Gazans, including dozens of civilians, over several days. Israel carried out the offensive in response to heavy rocket barrages on southern Israeli towns launched by the ruling Hamas militant group.

Since then, Israel and Hamas had appeared to be honoring an informal truce, though punctuated with Palestinian rocket attacks, some Israeli airstrikes and a deadly Palestinian attack that killed two Israeli civilians at a fuel depot. Meanwhile, Egyptian mediators have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire between the two sides.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the “Israeli aggression in Gaza” and urged all sides to “cooperate with Egyptian efforts.”

But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the violence cast doubt on Egyptian cease-fire efforts. “There can be no discussion of a truce in the midst of these crimes,” he said, threatening revenge against Israel.

Hamas advocates the destruction of Israel while Israel considers Hamas a terror group.

In new violence Thursday, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian militants in a raid in the West Bank town of Qabatiya. Troops surrounded the hideout early Thursday, and exchanged fire for about an hour with the Islamic Jihad militants inside, before shooting them dead.

Abu Ahmad, an Islamic Jihad, spokesman vowed a swift retribution. “You will not escape the coming revenge,” he said.

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