Reuters has called for an investigation by the Israeli government and the Israel Defence Forces into the death of one of its cameramen in Gaza on April 16.

Fadel Shana, a 23-year-old Palestinian, died as he filmed an Israeli tank about a kilometre away. The last few seconds of video shot on his tripod-mounted camera showed the tank firing, then a mid-air explosion consistent with the burst of a missile. The camera was shattered and Shana died at the scene. Soundman Wafa Abu Mizyed was wounded in the arm and three bystanders, two of them teenagers, were also killed in the incident which destroyed a Reuters car carrying TV and Press markings. Two more teenagers who were injured by the blast died later in hospital.

Physicians at Gaza's Shifa hospital who examined Shana's body said he had died of multiple lacerations caused by small darts typical of controversial flechette missiles. It was reported that several such darts had ripped through his body armour which bore a fluorescent strip worded "Press".

The Reuters crew had stopped on a back road off a main highway to film the Israeli force visible in the distance. No fighting was taking place at the time although there had been clashes in the area earlier in the day. Abu Mizyed said Shana had asked him to move teenagers away from the camera and he was doing so when the explosion happened. When he turned round, Shana and three bystanders lay dead or dying in pools of blood. A second explosion set the Reuters car ablaze.

In total 17 Palestinians, including several civilians, died during the day as Israeli troops responded to the killing of three of their soldiers in clashes in Gaza. A Gaza militant was also killed the following day. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said operations would continue until Israelis were no longer under attack from Gaza.

On news of the cameraman's death, the editor-in-chief of Reuters News, David Schlesinger, asked the Israelis to look urgently at what had happened. He said the evidence from the medical examination underlined the importance of holding a swift, honest and impartial investigation. "We and the military must work together urgently to understand why this tragedy took place and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future."

In an initial response, the Israeli military would not confirm that a tank had fired at the cameraman but said it hoped to cooperate with Reuters to study the incident. Asked about information that an Israeli flechette shell had killed Shana, a military spokeswoman said flechettes were legal under international law. On April 20, the Israeli army confirmed it was investigating the incident and findings would be passed to the armed forces' senior law officer, the Military Advocate General. In response Reuters Managing Editor for the Middle East, Mark Thompson, said: "We welcome this investigation and urge the IDF to share its findings with us as soon as possible."

Media watchdogs estimate around nine journalists have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 2000.