Three journalists killed in Israeli strikes on a hospital in Gaza
At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza's southern city Khan Younis overnight into Thursday, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.
It was not immediately clear if the strikes were related to the recovery mission overnight of the bodies of two hostages. Among those killed in the strikes were three local journalists. They were targeted in an attack on the courtyard of the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, also injuring half-a-dozen others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The Israeli military said it was looking into reports on the strike at al-Ahli and suggested that its officials may launch an investigation into the allegations. The army says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it is embedded in populated areas.
Over 180 journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign, the vast majority of them in Gaza, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
Israel has said many of those killed in its strikes were militants 'posing as reporters'. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned what it described as Israel's continued systematic and deliberate targeting of journalists.
In a statement, the union said that the ongoing Israeli aggression has so far claimed the lives of 225 journalists and media workers, including 30 female journalists. They've also identified the late journalists as Ismail Bdaih, Suleiman Hajjaj, and Samir Al-Rifai.
The group has accused Israel of continuing a policy of 'enforced disappearance' against Palestinian journalists, citing the ongoing lack of information regarding the fate of two missing reporters — Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdul-Wahed — whose cases the union described as 'clear instances of enforced disappearance in violation of international law.'
Israel has come under fire recently for its targeting of journalists and conduct of war. Various global media houses and well known broadcasters have slammed Netanyahu's government for not allowing independent international media into Gaza to report and investigate.
Israel says the decision to not allow journalists access into the enclave was for safety reasons, adding that they cannot ensure the safety of journalists once they've entered.
Those claims were however dismissed, as various international media outlets have pledged to organise their own security protocol and arrangements.
Various groups, including Reporters Without Borders, have accused Israel of attempting to control the narrative and silence the facts by not allowing free press inside Gaza to conduct their own research and show the conditions on the ground.
More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj, according to a Saudi government spokesperson.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation involving rituals and acts of worship that every Muslim must fulfil at least once in their lifetime, if they have the money and are physically able to do it.
Hajj Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuwaimi provided an approximate number for foreigners at this year's pilgrimage. He did not say how many domestic pilgrims were taking part. Last year, there were 1,611,310 pilgrims from outside the country.
It's almost 160,000 fewer pilgrims than last year and a far cry from the pre-pandemic boom, when attendance would regularly push past 2 million. There was a record-breaking Hajj in 2012, when more than 3.16 million Muslims took part.
On Wednesday, pilgrims streamed into Arafat, some making the journey on foot, carrying their luggage through temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
People paused to sit on the ground to rest or eat before heading to their camps.
Mount Arafat, a rocky hill southeast of Mecca, holds immense significance in Islam. Arafat is mentioned in the Quran and it is where the Prophet Muhammad – Peace be upon him – is said to have given his last sermon on his final Hajj.
According to traditional sayings of the prophet, the Day of Arafat is the most sacred day of the year, when God draws near to the faithful and forgives their sins.
Pilgrims remain in Arafat, in prayer and reflection, from after midnight until after sunset. After sun down on Thursday, pilgrims headed to the desert plain of Muzdalifah to collect pebbles, which they will use in a ritual.
Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on crowd control and safety measures, but the mass of participants makes ensuring their safety difficult. One of the greatest challenges at the Hajj in recent years has been the heat.
Earlier in the week, Health Minister Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel revealed that 10,000 trees have been planted to provide more shade as a governmental initiative to protect people from heat related medical emergencies.
He also added that bed capacities at hospitals were greatly increased, and the number of paramedics and medical professionals has tripled.
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