The secretary-general and other officials of the United Nations (UN) and Qatar have condemned the Israeli airstrike on Sunday near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City which killed six Palestinian journalists.
Al Jazeera confirmed that five of the victims were its correspondents in the enclave and described the attack as "another blatant and premeditated assault on press freedom." Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces claimed that one of the journalists was affiliated with Hamas.
A freelance journalist was also killed due to Sunday airstrike, according to media reports.
In a statement released on Monday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of the six Palestinian journalists and called for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.
Also on Monday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned the killing of the Palestinian journalists by Israel, saying it was "in grave breach of international humanitarian law."
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on social media Monday that he was horrified by the killing of more journalists in Gaza. He accused Israel of blocking access of international journalists to report independently since the war began nearly two years ago. He stressed that journalists must be protected and international media must be able to get into Gaza, which is the only way to counter disinformation and prevent doubts about the scale of atrocities committed in Gaza.
Qatar, where Al Jazeera channel is based, also condemned the Israeli attacks. Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani wrote on social media Monday that Israel's deliberate targeting of journalists in Gaza is a "crime beyond imagination."
According to OHCHR, at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023.
U.N. bodies, Qatar condemn Israeli strike that killed journalists in Gaza
