Israeli strike on school kills Al Jazeera cameraman in southern Gaza, network says
Cairo (AP): An Israeli strike killed a Palestinian cameraman for the TV network Al Jazeera and wounded its chief Gaza correspondent Friday as they reported at a school in the south of the besieged territory, the network said.
Cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa and correspondent Wael Dahdouh had gone to the school in the southern city of Khan Younis after it was hit by a strike earlier in the day. While they were there, an Israeli drone hit the school with a second strike, the network said.
Dahdouh was heavily wounded in his arm and shoulder, while Abu Daqqa fell bleeding to the ground. Speaking from a hospital bed, Dahdouh told Al Jazeera he was able to flee, bleeding, from the school and found several ambulance workers.
He asked them to look for Abu Daqqa, but they said it was too risky and promised another ambulance would come for him, Dahdouh said.
"He was screaming, he was calling for help," said Dahdouh, his right arm heavily bandaged.
Later that evening, Al Jazeera reported that an ambulance tried to reach the school to evacuate Abu Daqqa, but it had to turn back because roads were blocked by the rubble of destroyed houses.
Abu Daqqa continued to bleed for several more hours, until a civil defense crew found him dead Friday evening, the network said in a statement.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Abu Daqqa is the 64th journalist to be killed since the conflict erupted between Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7. That number includes 57 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese journalists.
The 45-year-old Abu Daqqa, a Khan Younis native, joined Al Jazeera in June 2004, working as both a cameraman and an editor. He leaves behind three sons and a daughter.
The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment about Abu Daqqa's death.
Qatari-owned Al Jazeera said in a statement that it holds Israel "accountable for systematically targeting and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their families."
In late October, Dahdouh's wife, son, daughter and grandchild were killed in a strike on the home where they were sheltering in central Gaza. The network at the time accused Israel of intentionally targeting his family.
Earlier this month, a strike killed the father, mother and 20 other family members of another Al Jazeera correspondent, Momen Al Sharafi.
Dahdouh is well-known as the face of Palestinians during many wars. He is revered in his native Gaza for telling stories of suffering and hardship to the outside world.
Israel's air and ground assault over the past 10 weeks has killed more than 18,700 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
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Man arrested in Hyderabad for impersonating police officer using AI videos
Hyderabad (PTI): A 27-year-old man was arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly impersonating a police official and uploading fabricated videos on social media platforms to gain followers, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, who worked as a delivery executive with a food delivery aggregator, created and circulated misleading videos using AI-based software.
He falsely depicted himself as a police official and showcased weapons, potentially causing panic and misleading the public, a release from Hyderabad Police said.
Police said it came to their notice that fake videos were being circulated on social media, showing individuals posing as police personnel and displaying weapons.
Upon preliminary inquiry, it was found that the videos were fabricated using AI software and did not represent any real police activity.
The accused unlawfully impersonated a police official and created deceptive digital content, which is a punishable offence under relevant provisions of law.
Such acts can erode public trust and create unnecessary alarm, the release said.
Acting on credible information, police teams apprehended the accused and seized a mobile phone used in the offence.
A case under relevant sections of the BNS and the IT Act, 2000, was registered at Kalapathar Police Station.
Further investigation is underway to determine whether any other persons were involved in the creation and dissemination of such content, police added.
