Journalists, including Al Jazeera reporter, injured in Israel Gaza strike

Correspondent Ismail Abu Omar and cameraman Ahmad Matar in serious condition, rushed to European Hospital.

Two journalists, including an Al Jazeera reporter, have been wounded in an Israeli attack north of Rafah in southern Gaza.

The condition of Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail Abu Omar and his cameraman Ahmad Matar was described as serious and both were transferred to the European Gaza Hospital, in Khan Younis, for treatment on Tuesday.

Abu Omar has had his right leg amputated, but pieces of shrapnel remain in his head and chest. Doctors are attempting to save his left leg. He is currently in surgery after suffering significant blood loss from a possible cut in the femoral artery.

The two journalists were hit by an Israeli drone strike in the Miraj area north of Rafah city.

Doctor Muhammad al-Astal, an emergency physician at the European Gaza Hospital, said Abu Omar’s life was at risk due to his severe injuries.

Reporting from Rafah, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said this is another tragedy hitting journalists trying to cover Israel’s war on Gaza.

“They were in the field documenting the living conditions of displaced Palestinian families in that particular area, and documenting the horror that they have experienced and lived through in the past 24 hours as massive air strikes targeted major parts of Rafah city, where close to 100 people were killed,” he said.

“They were directly targeted by a missile fired from a drone.”

The Government Media Office in Gaza denounced the “targeting of the Al Jazeera channel crew for the fifth time”, in an attack it said was “deliberate”.

“This targeting comes within the framework of intimidation of journalists,” it said, to prevent media coverage of the military offensive in Gaza.

At least 126 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, while 10 journalists have been arrested, according to government figures.