GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas accused Israel of killing a cameraman for a television station it operates in the Gaza Strip, while Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera also blamed Israeli forces for wounding one of its journalists in the territory’s north.
Muhammad Al-Tanani, a cameraman for Al-Aqsa TV, was buried Wednesday afternoon by colleagues at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in northern Gaza City, according to AFP journalists.
In a statement, Hamas’s press office called his killing an “despicable crime” and said the Israeli army was “fully responsible,” without offering details of the circumstances of his death.
Al Jazeera, meanwhile, said Wednesday that one of its cameramen, Fadi Al-Wahidi, was “injured by Israeli gunfire in northern Gaza, becoming the second Al Jazeera cameraman to be injured in an Israeli attack this week.”
According to an AFP journalist who was present, Wahidi was wounded in the neck in Jabalia, north of Gaza City, while covering Israeli operations in an area the army had previously told civilians to evacuate.
Al Jazeera said on X that his condition was critical.
The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the two incidents.
Israel’s military has repeatedly accused journalists from Al Jazeera of links to Hamas or its ally Islamic Jihad.
The network has fiercely denied these accusations and said Israel systematically targets its employees in the Gaza Strip.
Four Al Jazeera journalists have been killed since the war in Gaza began, and the network’s office in the territory has been bombed.
Hamas accuses Israel of killing cameraman for Gaza TV network
https://arab.news/gcxwf
Hamas accuses Israel of killing cameraman for Gaza TV network
- Muhammad Al-Tanani, a cameraman for Al-Aqsa TV, was buried Wednesday afternoon by colleagues at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in northern Gaza City
Snap launches AR Souq in Saudi, expands regional AR Ramadan Mall
- Snap Souq features Najdi-inspired design and interactive brand activationsSnap Souq features Najdi-inspired design and interactive brand activations
- The mall returns for fifth year with new ‘districts’
DUBAI: Snap has launched the Snap Souq, an augmented reality experience designed to resemble a traditional Saudi souq, for the Ramadan season.
Snapchat users can access the virtual souq, which features Nadji architectural design, through a selfie lens that provides a digital key.
“For many of us, our strongest Ramadan memories are tied to evenings spent together, gathering, exploring, and discovering something new. Those moments shape how we connect, and that sense of discovery is deeply cultural,” said Abdulla Al-Hammadi, managing director for Saudi Arabia at Snap Inc.
He told Arab News the Snap Souq used “technology to scale that feeling without losing its essence, bringing discovery into a digital space that feels natural to today’s audiences.”
Each brand kiosk has a different design and features interactive gaming elements aimed at increasing user interaction beyond product browsing.
Although users cannot shop directly within the AR experience, Snap said the launch highlights the “importance of culturally aligned digital experiences” during Ramadan, as spending in the Kingdom typically increases by 35 percent during this period. Some 84 percent of users in the Kingdom have expressed interest in using AR to engage with products before purchasing, according to the company.
Brands taking part include NiceOne, Abdul Latif Jameel, Rama Clinics and Stars Smile.
“By reimagining the traditional Saudi souq through the Snapchat camera, we created a space where heritage, community, and modern discovery come together naturally,” said Al-Hammadi.
Snapchat has also brought back its AR Ramadan Mall for the fifth year. In 2025, the experience reached 16.8 million shoppers, driving a 30 percent increase in engagement time year-on-year.
This year, the mall includes five “districts,” each dedicated to a specific sector.
The new format is based on data obtained over several years and allows each category to have its own AR environment, creating a more focused and contextual approach to brand engagement.
“This approach moves away from a one-size-fits-all structure and instead supports deeper engagement by giving people the freedom to spend time in spaces that align more closely with what they are looking for,” explained Mohammed Bouarib, regional creative strategy and innovation lead at Snap Inc.
The mall features 11 brands across five categories — luxury, automotive, food and beverage, self-care and retail. They include YSL Beauty, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Nespresso, Puck, Neutrogena, Sensodyne, Centrum, Al‑Futtaim BYD & Denza, and MAX.
Snap Souq is only available in Saudi Arabia, while the AR Ramadan Mall is available across the Middle East. Both can be accessed through the Lens Explorer and the carousel feature on Snapchat until the first week of Eid.
