TWO reporters for Qatari television Al Jazeera were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday (July 31).
Anadolu Agency reported the Doha-based broadcaster as saying that journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in the attack that targeted a car near the Aidia area west of Gaza City.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said the new fatalities brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip to 165 since Oct 7, 2023.
In a statement, the media office called on the international community and press organisations “to deter the (Israeli) occupation and prosecute it in international courts for its ongoing crimes, and to pressure it to stop the crime of genocide and halt the killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists.”
The United Nations condemned the killing, emphasising the need to protect journalists.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference: “These and other similar incidents must be fully and transparently investigated and there must be accountability. We, of course, condemn the killing of any and all journalists.”
Dujarric also extended condolences over the incident and reaffirmed UN’s call for “greater and full access for journalists”.
Asked how the UN could protect journalists, Dujarric said: “Our ability to protect journalists is through advocacy, which we are doing. We are not the ones who have our hands on the weapons.”
At least 39,445 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,000 injured in Israel’s continuous brutal attacks on Gaza since Oct 7, according to local health authorities. – Aug 1, 2024
