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Politics

Israel accused of targeting medics and journalists in Gaza as violence escalates

Thursday 12 June 2025 - 10:50

By: Dakir Madiha

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Two weeks after a video of a young girl walking through flames at the bombed Fahmi al-Jarjawi school in Gaza captured the world’s attention, the rescuer who saved her and the journalist who filmed the scene have been killed in an Israeli airstrike. The June 9 attack on paramedics and journalists has drawn widespread condemnation, with claims that Israel is deliberately targeting those documenting and responding to its military actions in Gaza.

A child's survival amidst tragedy

On May 26, an Israeli airstrike turned the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school, which was sheltering displaced Palestinians, into an inferno. The attack killed 36 people, mostly women and children, as they slept. Among the horrific aftermath, footage emerged of four-year-old Warda walking through the burning school, the sole survivor of her family. She was rescued by first responder Hussein Abu Faisal, whose heroic act was captured on camera by journalist Moamen Abu al-Ouf.

Two weeks later, both men were killed in the same airstrike, alongside paramedics Wael al-Attar and Bara’ Afanah, as they attempted to save civilians injured in an earlier attack. This deadly tactic, known as the “double-tap” method—striking the same area twice to target rescuers—has been widely criticized as a hallmark of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Mourning the lost

The deaths of the medics and journalist have sent shockwaves through Gaza. Fares Afanah, head of emergency and ambulance services and father of Bara’ Afanah, expressed pride in his son’s sacrifice. “We know very well with every mission that we may bid farewell to those dear to our hearts,” he said.

Journalist Anas Al-Sharid condemned the killing of Moamen Abu al-Ouf, who had been documenting atrocities in Gaza’s Jabalia camp, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya. “The Israeli occupation forces have targeted journalists and medics to silence witnesses and kill rescuers,” Al-Sharid said, calling it a deliberate effort to erase evidence of war crimes.

A war on medics and journalists

Israel’s military actions in Gaza have devastated the region’s healthcare system. Over 1,400 healthcare workers have been killed during Israel’s 20-month campaign, with medics bombed inside hospitals, targeted in ambulances, and killed while responding to emergencies.

Dr. Khaled al-Shawa, a medical professional in Gaza, described the overwhelming sense of helplessness. “We live under constant threat. Nowhere is safe. We’ve lost colleagues, relatives, and countless patients we couldn’t save,” he said.

Journalists have also faced relentless attacks. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that at least 184 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, including 225 in Gaza alone, according to local sources. Many Palestinians have turned to citizen journalism, risking their lives to document their own suffering in the hope that the world will bear witness.

Crimes against humanity

The targeting of medics and journalists in Gaza has been widely condemned as a violation of international law. These strikes, along with the ongoing blockade and destruction of civilian infrastructure, have left Gaza on the brink of collapse.

“What we are witnessing is not just war but the systematic annihilation of an entire population,” said one humanitarian worker, highlighting the growing calls for accountability and intervention.

The stories of individuals like Warda, her rescuer Hussein Abu Faisal, and journalist Moamen Abu al-Ouf underline the devastating human cost of the ongoing violence in Gaza.