Reuters cameraman killed in Gaza

Shana, 24, had stepped from his car, an unarmoured sport utility vehicle bearing "TV" and "Press" markings, to film an Israeli tank dug in several hundred meters away.

Video from his camera showed the tank opening fire. Two seconds after the shot raises dust around its gun, the tape goes blank - seemingly at the moment he was hit.

Witnesses said two youths passing by died in the same explosion that killed Shana.

Reuters soundman Wafa Abu Mizyed, 25, sustained a shrapnel wound and was being treated in a Gaza hospital.

Editor-in-chief David Schlesinger called for an immediate and complete investigation into the incident by the Israeli Defence Forces.

“We know, of course, that journalism is a dangerous business. We know, of course, that we rush into danger when others rush away. We know, of course, that accidents happen,” he said. 

“But I also believe sincerely and absolutely that all of us - news organizations, governments and the military - have an obligation to make reporting safer and to take the utmost care when professional journalists are doing their jobs. 

“It is, of course, striking that this tragedy occurred on the last day for Reuters as has been and the day before Thomson Reuters begins as a news and information power in the world. I can but reflect on our more than century and a half of bravery and sacrifice in the service of the news, and to vow that Reuters news in the new company will forge a new tradition, building on the old, that we can all be incredibly proud of.”

The Israeli army declined immediate comment on what caused Shana’s death. It expressed sorrow but also said journalists were putting their lives at risk in areas of combat.

An Israeli military official said: "We wish to express sorrow for the death of the Palestinian cameraman... It should be emphasized that the area in which the cameraman was hurt is an area in which ongoing fighting against armed, extreme and dangerous terrorist organizations occurs on a daily basis.

"The presence of media, photographers and other uninvolved individuals in areas of warfare is extremely dangerous and poses a threat to their lives."

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Paris-based Reporters Without Borders mourned Shana’s death.

"We are asking the Israeli authorities to publicly commit to carrying out an exhaustive investigation into this incident and to make its findings public," said CPJ executive director Joel Simon in a statement.

Shana, who was unmarried, was described as a gentle and popular figure among the 15-strong Reuters news team in the Gaza Strip. The bureau was honoured by Britain's Royal Television Society for its coverage of last year's factional fighting in Gaza. ■