By Deborah Odekola
An Israeli strike on Friday killed an international news agency, Reuters’ videographer, Issam Abdallah and wounded several others covering clashes on the border in southern Lebanon.
Al-Jazeera cameraman, Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar as well as two Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were among those wounded.
A Journalist, Ali Hashem in a post on his X handle said, “The tank shell hit them directly. It was horrible. The situation over there was, I can’t explain, I can’t describe it,” Al Jazeera who reported from Alma ash-Shaab, posted on his X handle.”
Confirming the incident, Reuters in a statement said, “We are deeply saddened to tell you that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed.”
This is as the United States of America has commenced the evacuation of its citizens from Israel.
The National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby told reporters that the first charter flight organised to get its citizens out of Israel departed for Europe on Friday.
He added that additional flights will be “departing in the coming days.”
On his part, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken at a news conference in Doha, Qatar urged Israeli forces not to harm civilians.
He added that the country is working with Israeli officials and international aid organizations
“To get aid to civilians in Gaza and urged Israel to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.
“We recognize that many Palestinian families in Gaza are suffering through no fault of their own, and that Palestinian civilians have lost their lives.
“We mourn the loss of every innocent life Israeli, Palestinian, Jew, Christian, Muslim, as well civilians of every faith and every nationality who’ve been killed.”
Hamas last Saturday launched an attack on Israel killing more than 1200 people and kidnapped 150 Israeli people. The group also claimed it had killed 13 out of the 150 hostages.
Israel has also declared war on the militant group, with retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza killing over 1,354 people while over 6,049 people were injured.
A video clip seen online showed the Israeli artillery maintaining its position near Gaza.
Similarly, another video footage showed many Palestinians evacuating their homes on Friday, following Israel’s warning that more than a million people in the north of Gaza should evacuate to the south ahead of potential Israeli ground operation into the enclave.
Israel Defense Forces said, “Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields.”
A leaflet circulated in Gaza with a message written in Arabic read, “For your safety, you should not return home until further notice from the IDF,” the leaflet read. “You have to vacate your homes immediately and head to the south of Wadi Gaza.” A diagram was drawn on the leaflet showing arrows towards south Gaza with a designated area at the top left corner of the map saying “Humanitarian Aid Zone.”
According to Palestinian authorities since the incident began on Saturday, at least 1,799 people have been killed and 6,388 others wounded by Israeli air raids in Gaza.
