strongly condemns the heinous crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces at about 5:30 this afternoon (16 April), which led to the killing of Reuters cameraman Fadel Subhi Shana'a (24 years old.) His assistant Wafa Abu Mezyed was also injured in his left hand and his right leg.

Shana'a and Abu Mezyed were covering the Israeli aggression in the Juhr Al-Deek area north of the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Abu Mezyed said that an Israeli tank, that was 1500 m away from them, fired a bomb at their car, which was carrying a clear press sign, resulting in the killing of Shana'a immediately and the shell shrapnel injury of the assistant. Abu Mezyed confirmed that there were only children in the area of the bomb, and there was no provocation for the attack.

Mada strongly denounces this unprovoked murder of a journalist, and demands punishment for those responsible for this ugly crime. Further, Mada calls on the international community to pressure the Government of Israel to halt its attacks on journalists, and to stop the ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Ramallah
16 April 2008