GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, March  18, 2024 (BSS/AFP) -
Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera said Israeli forces had beaten and arrested
its correspondent Ismail Alghoul during a raid on Monday on Gaza's largest
hospital, urging his release.

The Israeli army said it was battling Hamas militants at the Al-Shifa
hospital with witnesses reporting air strikes and tanks near the facility which
was crowded with patients and displaced people.

"Al Jazeera Media Network demands the immediate release of its
correspondent and the other journalists who were detained alongside him, and
holds the occupation forces fully responsible for their safety," the channel
said in a statement to AFP.

"Ismail Alghoul was arrested this morning inside Al-Shifa Hospital along
with a number of journalists while covering the Israeli occupation forces'
attack on the hospital. According to eyewitnesses, Ismail was severely beaten
and taken to an unknown location," it added.

The Doha-headquartered network said a broadcast vehicle with cameras and
other equipment was destroyed following the arrests.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An Al Jazeera source, who was not authorised to brief the press and spoke
of condition of anonymity, told AFP that five other people were arrested
including Alghoul's camera crew and engineers.

Last month the network accused Israel of systematically targeting Al
Jazeera employees working in Gaza.

As of Monday, at least 95 journalists and media workers had been confirmed
dead in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ), citing "preliminary investigations".

Of those 90 were Palestinians, CPJ said.

Two Al Jazeera journalists have been killed during Israel's war against
Hamas in Gaza, while bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh was wounded.

"The network emphasises that this targeting serves as an intimidation
tactic against journalists to deter them from reporting the horrific crimes
committed by the occupation forces against innocent civilians in Gaza," the
channel said.

"The targeting of Ismail Alghoul is part of a series of systematic attacks
on Al Jazeera by the occupation authorities," it added.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern
Israel which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 31,726 people in
Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the
Hamas-run territory.