GAZA (Reuters) - The missile struck the "P" of the bright red "PRESS" sign on the roof of the armour-plated Reuters car as Gaza cameraman Fadel Shana hurried to film an Israeli raid.

Shana saw only a sheet of flame and the doors of the vehicle fly open.

He regained consciousness in hospital on Sunday, hours after the missile strike, with shrapnel wounds in his right hand and leg. He could not hear in one ear because of the explosion. His eyes were swollen and red.

"I am happy to be alive. I think I have been given another life," said Shana, 22, from his bed.

The army said it had not known that journalists were inside the car and that it had aroused suspicion at night in an area of combat, where soldiers were searching for tunnels and explosives being prepared by Palestinian militants for attacks.

"This car was not identified by the army as a press vehicle," said army spokeswoman Captain Noa Meir. "If journalists were hurt, we regret it."

Shana was knocked unconscious. Sabbah Hmaida, a local journalist who was with him, was badly wounded in his legs.

Shana recounted how he had rushed out to film after hearing of a suspected Israeli air strike in the Shijaiya neighbourhood, a militant stronghold. He was searching for the site, which he estimated to be some 1,200 metres (yards) from the nearest Israeli soldiers, when the missile struck

FIRE

"I suddenly saw fire and the doors of the jeep flew open. I did not know what happened," said Shana, a Palestinian freelance cameraman who has worked for Reuters for several years.

"I was acting as normal. As always, I abided by the journalistic rules. I drove normally, I did not get out of the car."

The car was labelled on all sides as a press vehicle.

Michael Lawrence, Reuters Managing Editor for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "We are deeply concerned at this attack on a clearly marked press vehicle as journalists were doing their job to report the story from Gaza.

"We understand that the army says it had no intention of targeting the media, but this incident is totally unacceptable and we urge a careful examination of how this happened to ensure there is no repeat."

Army spokeswoman Meir said the fact that gunmen were later targeted and killed close to where the Reuters vehicle was hit indicated that it was close to a combat area.

The Foreign Press Association described the attack as "outrageous targeting" of the vehicle and rejected the army's "excuses". It also demanded a full and transparent investigation.

Shana said he was looking forward to getting back to work.

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