GAZA, July 17 (UPI) -- NBC reporter Ayman Mohyeldin was told to immediately leave his post in Gaza due to what the news outlet claimed were "security concerns."
The decision came after Mohyeldin witnessed an Israeli airstrike Wednesday that killed four Palestinian children on a beach in Gaza. Ahed Atef Bakr and Zakaria Ahed Bakr, both 10-years-old, Mohamed Ramez Bakr, 11, and Ismael Mohamed Bakr, 9 were all killed after an Israeli strike hit the beach where they were playing soccer with journalists moments earlier.
Many praised his reporting on the attack, both in writing and on social media. NBC has received some criticism for the decision, but the network has stood by its concern over Mohyeldin's safety. Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel will take over the coverage of the situation.
On Thursday, Israel began a ground operation in the Gaza region after a broken cease-fire earlier in the day.
