On October 12, 2018, a Reuters cameraman working in Gaza was killed by an Israeli tank shell in an incident that stunned the international news agency and sparked condemnation of the military’s conduct. Now, more than a year later, a CNN investigation has found evidence that suggests it was the Israeli military that was responsible.
The cameraman, Faisal Husseini, was killed while reporting on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the dominant political force in the Gaza Strip. Husseini was standing atop a building, filming the area below, when he was struck by a single tank shell.
Witnesses described the confusion and chaos that followed in an interview with CNN. A member of the local government reported that they heard the sound of the shell being fired from an Israeli tank, but there was no direct evidence of this until now.
CNN’s investigation involved speaking to witnesses, analyzing satellite imagery, and consulting with international weapons experts. It revealed that the tank that fired the shell had been likely moved forward in its position shortly before the incident. It had moved from its usual location a few meters away, and was now positioned directly in line with the building that Husseini was standing on.
Furthermore, the position of the tank and the range of its weapons suggested that it was the only one capable of firing the shell that killed Husseini. Furthermore, the trajectory of the shell and the timing of its firing match up with that of the attack that killed the cameraman.
The findings of CNN’s investigation point to the conclusion that it was an Israeli tank that fired the shell which killed the Reuters cameraman Faisal Husseini. Adding to the tragedy of his death, the attack appears to have been preventable if the military had not moved its tank into position before firing.