Trying to kill the truth

Palestinian cameraman Fadel Shana'a in an undated photo. Having already survived an Israeli missile attack that targeted his press vehicle in August 2006, Fadel vowed to continue filming in Gaza. "The only time I'll stop filming is if I die or lose my legs." He was indeed killed by an Israeli tank shell on April 16th, 2008.

The vehicle Shana'a was traveling in moments after being hit. The insignia marking it as a Press vehicle are clearly visible from all angles.

Shana'a lies dead along with a Palestinian boy. Near Fadel's shoulder is his camera on its tripod. The tape retrieved shows the tank firing on him, before going blank two seconds later at the moment of impact.

The muzzle blast from an Israeli tank firing (at left) is seen on Shana's videotape seconds before he was hit. The last frame on Shana's tape (center) shows a dust cloud rising around the tank two seconds after it fired. The frame then goes blank and the camera stopped when Shana was hit. An ambulance and rescue workers (right) go past Shana's flaming Reuters TV vehicle. (Courtesy of Reuters).

The Reuters bureau chief for Israel and the Palestinian territories, Alastair Macdonald, described Shana as a "gentle soul, happy, extremely bright, and one of the most skilled cameramen in Gaza. He will be greatly missed by all his colleagues."

To the forefront of the picture, the legs of another man killed in the attack are visible.

Jackie Rowland reports on Shana's death and that of the many others killed in Gaza today: