Air strike hurts two journalists in Gaza - doctors

GAZA, Aug 27: An Israeli air strike hit a Reuters vehicle in Gaza City, wounding two journalists, doctors and residents said.

One of the journalists, who worked for a local media organisation, was seriously wounded. A cameraman working for Reuters was knocked unconscious in the air strike, the doctors said yesterday.

The army was checking the report.

Witnesses said the missile struck the Reuters armoured car despite the fact that it was clearly labelled as a media vehicle, with signs on all sides, including the roof.

Sabbah Hmaida, who works for a local news Web site, was seriously wounded in the legs.

Fadel Shana, a Reuters cameraman, received no major bodily wounds in the air strike, but was knocked unconscious.

Israel has often targeted Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip with air strikes during an uprising since 2000.

More than 180 Palestinians, about half of them militants, have been killed since Israel launched an offensive in June aimed at recovering a captured soldier and ending cross-border rocket fire.

REUTERS