Près de Douai, la voiture électrique 100% française devient réalité

Deux immenses usines côte-à-côte, en banlieue de Douai, produisent ensemble les premières voitures électriques 100% françaises: la Manufacture Renault, qui vient de sortir sa 100.000e R5 électrique, et la gigafactory du chinois Envision, son fournisseur de batteries.Annoncé en 2021,le site AESC Envision, cofinancé par des fonds européens (480 millions d’euros sur 1,3 milliard), atteindra mi-2026 son premier gigawatt-heure, de quoi équiper environ 20.000 véhicules. En pleine accélération, “le site compte produire 10 GWh par an, l’équivalent des batteries pour 180.000 à 200.000 véhicules”, a expliqué mercredi son directeur Ayume Kurose, dont la moitié sera destinée aux voitures Renault. AESC, filiale japonaise du chinois Environ, a déjà embauché 900 personnes et escompte un effectif de 1.200.Très automatisée, cette usine flambant neuve démarrée en mars 2025 profite du savoir-faire d’AESC, fabricant de batteries depuis 2010 qui possède plusieurs sites en Asie et en Europe. Avec ses six lignes de production, ce site français, son plus important, affiche un taux de rebut de seulement 5%. Un taux très faible par rapport aux deux autres gigafactories qui viennent de démarrer dans les Hauts-de-France, celle d’ACC (coentreprise de Stellantis, Mercedes et TotalEnergies) et celle du français Verkor. L’enjeu est crucial; la lenteur du décollage d’ACC ralentit la production de certains modèles de Stellantis. Le site d’AESC Envision a investi plus de dix hectares que lui a vendus Renault, son voisin, dont la “Manufacture” est désormais entièrement consacrée aux modèles électriques.  – Petit train – C’est ici qu’est produite la Renault 5 électrique, devenue en un an la plus vendue des voitures électriques en France et deuxième en Europe. “Déjà 38.000 immatriculation en France”, s’est félicité le ministre de l’Industrie Sébastien Martin.A terme un petit train transportera les batteries d’AESC vers la chaîne de montage de Renault. “Pour soutenir la cadence de Renault, nous produisons H24″, a expliqué le directeur du site d’AESC.Le constructeur français a lui aussi accéléré pour accompagner l’essor de sa R5 électrique, avec 900 recrutements supplémentaires, dont des salariés venus d’autres sites de Renault dans le monde et des salariés étrangers. Fin 2025, l’usine est même passée aux 3×8 avec une demi-équipe de nuit.”Nous sommes compétitifs: il est possible en France de produire des voitures électriques. Nous avons investi sur ce site plus de 500 millions d’euros, et nous avons les deux tiers de nos fournisseurs dans un rayon de 300 km”, a souligné le directeur général de Renault François Provost. “Un écosystème s’est monté ici”, a renchéri le ministre, venu visiter les deux sites.”On a connu des années difficile, mais on retrouve une bonne dynamique avec la R5. Ca fait du bien à tout le monde”, s’est félicité Laurent Bobb, un opérateur qui travaille sur le site de Douai depuis 1988.Une interrogation toutefois, celle de la technologie des batteries: l’usine d’AESC produit des batteries NMC (nickel-manganèse-cobalt), plus compactes mais “30% plus chères que les batteries LFP” (lithium-fer-phosphate), a expliqué M. Provost. La faute notamment à l’envolée du prix du cobalt. Les batteries LFP présentent aussi “une sécurité accrue” et Renault “en maîtrise mieux la chaîne de valeur”.Aussi les R5 électriques seront-elles plutôt équipées de batteries LFP, que fournit une usine polonaise du groupe coréen LG, a expliqué un responsable de l’usine.  Les batteries NMC de AESC Envision, qui ont l’avantage d’être plus recyclables, devraient en revanche équiper les modèles plus haut de gamme et grande route que la R5, explique Renault, sachant que l’usine de Douai produit cinq autres modèles électriques, dont la Megane, la Scenic et la Nissan Micra.

Gaza: un collaborateur de l’AFP et deux autres journalistes tués dans une frappe israélienne

Une frappe israélienne a tué mercredi un collaborateur régulier de l’AFP et deux autres journalistes palestiniens dans le centre de la bande de Gaza, l’armée israélienne indiquant avoir pris pour cible les opérateurs d’un drone jugé suspect.La frappe a eu lieu dans le secteur d’al-Zahra et les corps des trois journalistes ont été “transférés à l’hôpital des Martyrs d’al-Aqsa, à Deir el-Balah”, indique un communiqué de la Défense civile, organisation de premiers secours opérant sous le contrôle du mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas. La Défense civile a identifié les trois journalistes tués comme Anas Ghneim, Mohammed Salah Qashta et Abdoul Raouf Shaath. Ce dernier, journaliste reporter d’images indépendant âgé de 34 ans, collaborait régulièrement avec l’AFP depuis l’évacuation des journalistes employés par l’agence à Gaza début 2024.Une trêve précaire est en vigueur depuis le 10 octobre à Gaza entre Israël et le Hamas, que les deux camps s’accusent mutuellement de violer.Selon le ministère de la Santé du gouvernement du Hamas à Gaza, huit autres Palestiniens ont également été tués mercredi lors d’attaques israéliennes sur le territoire.- “Crime de guerre” -Concernant les journalistes, l’armée israélienne a déclaré avoir frappé trois “suspects” manoeuvrant un drone dans le secteur.”Des troupes (israéliennes) ont identifié plusieurs suspects qui opéraient un drone affilié au Hamas dans le centre de la bande de Gaza”, selon un communiqué, sans plus de détails sur cette affiliation prétendue.”En raison de la menace que le drone représentait pour les troupes”, les forces israéliennes “ont frappé avec précision les suspects qui l’avaient activé”, ajoute l’armée, précisant que “les détails de l’incident étaient en cours d’examen”.Sur place, un témoin a déclaré à l’AFP que les journalistes utilisaient un drone pour filmer une distribution d’aide humanitaire gérée par le Comité égyptien de secours, lorsqu’un véhicule qui les accompagnait a été ciblé par une frappe aérienne.La Défense civile avait de son côté fait mention d’une frappe de drone israélien sur “un véhicule civil”.Abdoul Raouf Shaath n’était pas en mission pour l’AFP au moment de la frappe, mais son dernier reportage pour l’agence a été publié lundi. Il avait commencé à travailler avec l’AFP en février 2024.Dans l’enceinte de l’hôpital Nasser de Khan Younès (sud) où les dépouilles des journalistes ont été amenées plus tard, des dizaines de personnes sont venues saluer la mémoire des défunts. Dans l’assemblée, plusieurs journalistes, dont des visages connus de chaînes de télévision arabophones, pleurent et se prennent dans les bras. Le Syndicat des journalistes palestiniens a condamné “avec la plus grande fermeté” cette attaque, la qualifiant de “politique systématique et délibérée menée par l’occupant israélien pour cibler intentionnellement les journalistes palestiniens”.Le Hamas, qui a pris le pouvoir dans la bande de Gaza en 2007, a dénoncé un “crime de guerre”, soulignant que les trois journalistes avaient été tués dans l’exercice de leur fonction. Il n’a pas revendiqué une quelconque affiliation entre ces trois hommes et le mouvement, comme il le fait habituellement lorsqu’un de ses membres est tué.- Plus de 220 journalistes tués -Le fragile cessez-le-feu à Gaza, première étape du plan de Donald Trump visant à mettre fin à la guerre, est émaillé d’incidents quotidiens, tandis que la situation humanitaire dans le territoire reste critique.Près de 470 Palestiniens ont été tués depuis le début de la trêve, selon le ministère de la Santé de Gaza placé sous l’autorité du Hamas.L’armée israélienne a pour sa part fait état de trois soldats tués, depuis la même date.Selon l’ONG de défense de la liberté de la presse Reporters sans frontières (RSF), les forces israéliennes ont tué au moins 29 journalistes palestiniens dans la bande de Gaza entre décembre 2024 et décembre 2025.Et depuis le début de la guerre, déclenchée par l’attaque du Hamas en Israël le 7 octobre 2023, le bilan est de plus de 220 journalistes tués par Israël, faisant du territoire palestinien l’endroit de loin le plus meurtrier au monde pour la presse sur cette période, affirme RSF.Le 25 août notamment, des frappes israéliennes sur un hôpital du sud de la bande de Gaza avaient coûté la vie à cinq journalistes palestiniens, dont une collaboratrice de l’agence de presse américaine Associated Press (AP).

US Supreme Court hears Trump bid to fire Fed governor

The US Supreme Court was hearing arguments Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a Federal Reserve governor, a case that could have far-reaching consequences for the independence of the central bank.Trump sought in August to dismiss Fed governor Lisa Cook, a key official serving on the bank’s interest rate-setting committee, accusing her of mortgage fraud. She denies the charges.”Deceit or gross negligence by a financial regulator in financial transactions is cause for removal,” Solicitor General John Sauer said.”The American people should not have their interest rates determined by someone who was, at best, grossly negligent in obtaining favorable interest rates for herself,” Sauer said.Fed officials can only be removed by the president for “cause,” which could be interpreted to mean malfeasance or dereliction of duty.The conservative-dominated Supreme Court barred Trump from immediately removing Cook, allowing her to remain in her post until it could hear the case contesting her dismissal.Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed concern that setting a “very low bar for cause” could allow presidents to dismiss Fed governors at will and “weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve.””All of the current president’s appointees would likely be removed for cause on January 20, 2029 if there’s a Democratic president,” Kavanaugh said, referring to the next inauguration day.In a sign of the significance of the case and public support for Cook, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was expected to personally attend Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing.Powell’s attendance comes as the Trump administration intensifies its pressure campaign targeting the central bank, including the opening of a criminal investigation into the Fed chief.Earlier this month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had launched an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting.- Interest rates -Trump’s bid to fire Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, and the probe into Powell are a dramatic escalation of the president’s efforts to control the Fed.Trump has repeatedly criticized the Fed for spurning his demands to slash interest rates more aggressively.By ousting Cook, the Republican president could potentially add another voice to the Fed’s board to try and shift interest rates in his favored direction.The Supreme Court has overwhelmingly sided with Trump since he returned to office, allowing mass firing of federal workers, the withholding of funds appropriated by Congress and racial profiling in his sweeping immigration crackdown.The court recently allowed Trump to fire members of other independent government boards, but created a carveout for the Fed in its ruling.In his announcement removing Cook, Trump said there was “sufficient reason” to believe she may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements, allegedly claiming two primary residences, one in Michigan and another in Georgia.Cook has not been charged with a crime and the alleged false statements occurred before she was in her current position.She took office as a Fed governor in 2022 and was reappointed to the board in 2023.

US Congress targets Clintons in Epstein contempt fight

A US House panel was set to vote Wednesday on whether to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its politically charged investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is weighing two resolutions accusing the former president and former secretary of state of defying subpoenas to appear in person before investigators.If approved, the measures advance to the full House of Representatives, also majority Republican, which would decide whether to formally cite the Democratic power couple for contempt and refer them to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution.The vote underscores how the Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over Washington, entangling some of the most prominent names in US politics.Lawmakers are examining how authorities handled earlier investigations into Epstein, whose 2019 death in custody as he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges was ruled a suicide.The Clintons say the probe is being weaponized to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump — himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify — rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of the files linked to Epstein, who moved in elite circles for years, cultivating close ties with business tycoons, politicians, academics and celebrities to whom he was suspected of trafficking girls and young women for sex.The president and his Justice Department officials are accused by Democrats of a cover-up, having released only a fraction of the case files it was required by law to make public more than a month ago.  Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.But Republicans say the Democratic couple’s past links to the disgraced financier, including Bill Clinton’s use of his private jet in the early 2000s, justify in‑person questioning under oath.- ‘Ridiculous offer’ -The contempt push followed oversight committee Chairman James Comer’s rejection of a last‑minute offer for a narrower interview with Bill Clinton in New York.Comer said the proposal would have limited questioning to a single lawmaker, barring colleagues from participating and producing no official transcript — terms he said violate standard committee practice.”I have rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer,” Comer said, accusing them of seeking special treatment because of their name.Clinton representatives dispute that account, saying they never opposed testimony being on the record or under oath. In refusal letters, the couple argue that the subpoenas are invalid because they lack a clear legislative purpose.Instead, the Clintons submitted sworn written statements describing their knowledge of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.Comer announced that Maxwell had been scheduled to give a deposition before the committee’s investigators on February 9, although he said he expected her to assert her constitutional right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work but said he never visited Epstein’s private island.Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island. The committee vote exposes divisions among Democrats, some of whom privately acknowledge that no one should be beyond scrutiny in efforts to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s crimes. Others fear that advancing the contempt resolutions plays into a partisan strategy to shift attention away from Trump’s own past contacts with Epstein and from criticism that his administration has moved slowly to release all related records.”We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help,” Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Urena posted on X.”But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES.”

US Treasury chief accuses Fed chair of ‘politicising’ central bank

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of “politicising” the institution, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank.President Donald Trump has accused Powell of not moving faster to cut interest rates, and the Fed chief revealed this month that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into him — a move former Fed chairs labelled an effort to undermine the bank’s independence.Bessent on Wednesday criticised Powell for planning to attend a Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, calling his presence “a political statement”.”I am not sure why Chair Powell would go and support Governor Cook when the Fed has not undertaken an examination of whether she did in fact commit mortgage fraud,” Bessent said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, citing allegations Cook has denied.”The Fed should not be politicised. He is politicising the Fed.”Trump has anchored his attempt to remove Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, on mortgage fraud allegations.She challenged the removal attempt and the Supreme Court allowed her to remain in her post until it hears her case. She has not been charged with a crime.Trump renewed criticism of Powell in Davos on Wednesday, blaming Fed policymaking for holding back his achievements.”They stop you from being successful,” he said, adding that he planned to announce a new Fed chairman in the “not-too-distant future”, with Powell’s term at the helm ending in May.This month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had opened an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Prosecutors sent the Fed subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment relating to testimony Powell gave last summer about the remodelling. Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting, and the heads of major central banks have thrown their support behind him.Trump has said he will judge Powell’s successor on whether they immediately cut rates.

Trump rules out force against Greenland but demands ‘immediate’ talks

US President Donald Trump ruled out using force to take Greenland for the first time as he addressed world leaders in Davos Wednesday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a NATO ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years.In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the United States alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.”We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.”I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after Trump’s comments.- ‘Immediate negotiations’ -Trump however pushed his claims to what he called “our territory” — and mistakenly called it Iceland on several occasions — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no.Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland.He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and switch planes.In a sign of dissent against Trump, the words “No Kings” were dug into the snow overlooking mountain-fringed Davos overnight, referring to a US protest slogan.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions over semi-autonomous Greenland.In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday he would not “yield” to pressure from Trump on Greenland.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the French president and Canadian premier.He mocked Macron for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition, and said that Carney “wasn’t so grateful” and that Canada “lives because of the United States”.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Earlier, NATO chief Mark Rutte told Davos on Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed, as Trump’s claims over Greenland provoke an existential crisis for the group.Rutte also pushed back against Trump after the US leader said he doubted NATO would come to the aid of the United States if asked. “I tell him, yes they will,” Rutte said.Trump however repeated his doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly”.The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also boasted of his achievements since his return to power a year and a day ago. He last spoke at Davos in his first term in 2020.Trump unleashed his trademark anti-migrant rhetoric, particularly against Somalis in the United States — while hailing the US economy as the “engine” of the world.The US president also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday.Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace”, a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/rlp

Groenland : Trump exclut l’usage de la force mais exige des négociations immédiates

Donald Trump a exclu pour la première fois mercredi à Davos d’utiliser la force pour mettre la main sur le Groenland, mais a exigé des “négociations immédiates” sur son acquisition par les Etats-Unis, tout en réglant ses comptes avec plusieurs dirigeants occidentaux.”Les gens pensaient que j’utiliserais la force. Je n’ai pas besoin d’utiliser la force. Je ne veux pas utiliser la force. Je n’utiliserai pas la force”, a-t-il déclaré au sujet du territoire autonome appartenant au Danemark, lors d’un discours à la tribune du Forum économique mondial réuni cette semaine dans la station huppée des Alpes suisses.”Je demande l’ouverture de négociations immédiates afin de discuter à nouveau de l’acquisition du Groenland par les États-Unis”, a cependant ajouté le président américain, réaffirmant “qu’aucune nation ni groupe de nations n’est en position de pouvoir assurer la sécurité du Groenland en dehors des Etats-Unis”.”Nous sommes une grande puissance, beaucoup plus grande que ce que les gens comprennent. Je pense qu’ils l’ont découvert il y a deux semaines au Venezuela”, a-t-il relevé.Ces déclarations ont semblé rassurer Wall Street, qui a ouvert en hausse.- “Morceau de glace” -“Nous voulons un morceau de glace pour protéger le monde, et ils refusent de nous le donner”, a encore commenté Donald Trump. “Ils ont donc le choix,” a-t-il poursuivi. “Ils peuvent dire +oui+, et nous leur en serons très reconnaissants. Ou ils peuvent dire +non+, et nous nous en souviendrons”, a-t-il poursuivi sur un ton peu amène.L’ancien promoteur immobilier, qui depuis son retour au pouvoir il y a un an a complètement bouleversé l’ordre mondial, a aussi profité de sa tribune à Davos pour violemment critiquer plusieurs pays ou dirigeants occidentaux.Au Danemark, qui refuse de lui céder ce territoire qu’il a confondu plusieurs fois dans son discours avec l’Islande, il a reproché de faire preuve d'”ingratitude”.Le Canada? Il “existe grâce aux Etats-Unis” et “devrait nous être reconnaissant”, a-t-il lancé à l’intention de son Premier ministre Mark Carney, qui s’efforce de réduire la dépendance de son pays vis-à-vis de Washington depuis que Donald Trump a appelé à faire du Canada le 51e Etat américain et qui a été ovationné pour son discours à Davos mardi. – “Dur à cuire” -Donald Trump a aussi ironisé sur la prestation du président français Emmanuel Macron, qui avait mis en garde mardi à Davos contre les tentatives américaines “inacceptables” de “subordonner l’Europe”. Je l’ai vu jouer le dur à cuire” avec “ces belles lunettes de soleil” (portées en raison d’un problème oculaire NDLR), s’est-il moqué.Donald Trump, qui affectionne les rassemblements de grosses fortunes et de personnalités influentes, est de retour au Forum de Davos pour la première fois depuis 2020, pendant son premier mandat. Les élites économiques et politiques réunies dans les Alpes suisses avaient commencé à faire la queue plus de deux heures avant le début du discours, et l’affluence était telle qu’il a fallu ouvrir quatre salles de retransmission en plus de l’auditorium de 1.300 places. Même comme cela, tous n’ont pas pu entrer.Le milliardaire de 79 ans avait rejoint avec un peu de retard la station de sports d’hiver huppée, à la suite d’un problème à bord d’Air Force One qui l’a contraint à faire demi-tour et prendre un autre appareil.Selon la Maison Blanche, Donald Trump a prévu environ cinq réunions bilatérales. Le président américain a notamment annoncé une rencontre avec le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky, parlant d’abord de mercredi. Ce dernier “est actuellement à Kiev”, a démenti la présidence ukrainienne. Donald Trump a ensuite évoqué une rencontre jeudi.Il fera aussi ce jour-là la promotion d’une autre initiative diplomatique fracassante: son “Conseil de la paix”, considéré par beaucoup comme un rival de l’Onu.

Israeli strike kills three Gaza journalists including AFP freelancer

An Israeli air strike killed an AFP freelancer and two other journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, the territory’s civil defence agency said, while the military said it struck “suspects” operating a drone.Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations.In a statement, the civil defence said “the bodies of the three journalists killed in an Israeli air strike in the Al-Zahra area southwest of Gaza City were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah”.It named the dead as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim. Shaat had contributed regularly to AFP as a photo and video journalist, but at the time of the strike he was not on assignment for the agency.In a statement, the Israeli military said troops had “identified several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas in the central Gaza Strip”. The military did not elaborate what it meant by a “drone affiliated with Hamas”.”Due to the threat that the drone posed to the troops, the (Israeli military) precisely struck the suspects who activated the drone,” it said, adding that the strike was “conducted in accordance with the required chain of command approvals” and that the details were under review.The civil defence, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, said in an earlier statement that an Israeli drone strike had targeted “a civilian vehicle” near Al-Zahra.According to an eyewitness, the journalists were using a drone to take images of aid distribution by the Egyptian Relief Committee in the Gaza Strip when a strike targeted a vehicle accompanying them.Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called the strike “a dangerous escalation of the flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement.”- Journalists under fire -In a statement, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate condemned the strike “in the strongest terms,” calling it a part of a “systematic and deliberate policy pursued by the Israeli occupation to intentionally target Palestinian journalists”.Israeli forces have killed at least 466 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.The Israeli military said militants have killed three of its soldiers during the same period.Gaza’s health ministry said another eight Palestinians were also killed in Israeli attacks in the territory on Wednesday.Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that Israeli forces killed at least 29 Palestinian journalists in Gaza between December 2024 and December 2025.The deadliest single attack was a so-called “double-tap” strike on a hospital in south Gaza on August 25, which killed five journalists, including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press.Since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 sparked the war in Gaza, nearly 220 journalists have been killed by Israel, making the Palestinian territory by far the deadliest place for journalists, RSF data says.The Israeli military claims that several journalists it targeted in Gaza had been “terrorists” affiliated with Palestinian militant groups.Last week, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, saying it aimed to pave the way for reconstruction and the demilitarisation of all armed factions in the territory.The strike on Wednesday came hours after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had accepted an invitation to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts.The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of post-war Gaza, but its charter seen by AFP does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory, and members have to pay up to $1 billion for a permanent spot on it.bur-az-my-acc-jd/jfx