Fadel Shana

Fadel Shana, a 23-year-old Palestinian cameraman, was employed by the Reuters news agency. He was based in the Gaza Strip, where he documented the ongoing conflict between Palestinian armed groups and the Israeli military.

On April 16, 2008, Shana was filming in the Gaza village of Juhor ad-Dik, east of Gaza City. According to reports from Reuters and the Committee to Protect Journalists, an Israeli Merkava tank fired a shell at his location. The shell was a flechette round, which disperses thousands of metal darts. Shana and his soundman, Wafa Abu Mizyed, were killed instantly. Shana's camera, recovered from the scene, captured the tank firing the round moments before impact.

His death occurred during a period of intense cross-border violence. In the preceding days, Israeli military operations in Gaza had escalated, with Palestinian militant groups firing rockets into southern Israel. The incident took place during what the Israeli military described as an operation targeting militants.

The Israeli military stated it was investigating the incident, noting that its forces had identified a person carrying what they believed to be a weapon in a combat zone. Reuters issued a statement calling for a thorough investigation, while the Committee to Protect Journalists documented the killing. No charges were reported to have been filed in connection with his death.

Fadel Shana is memorialized by press freedom organizations as one of many journalists killed while reporting from Gaza. His death highlighted the dangers faced by media personnel in conflict zones and spurred continued advocacy for their protection.

Fadel Shana was killed during the Israeli?Palestinian conflict (concluded November -0001). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: James Miller, Ahmad Abu Hussein, Shireen Abu Akleh, Ghufran Warasna.

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