The United Nations Human Rights Office on Monday denounced Israel’s killing of six journalists in Gaza, describing it as a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.”
In a statement posted on X, the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the Israeli military struck a tent sheltering five employees of Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera.
A freelance reporter was also among those killed in the Sunday attack, which Israel admitted was a deliberate operation.
“Israel must respect and protect all civilians, including journalists,” the statement read, adding that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, following Hamas’ attacks on Israel. “We call for immediate, safe and unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists,” it added.
The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted veteran correspondent Anas al-Sharif, repeatedly accusing him of being a Hamas “terrorist” who was “posing as a journalist.”
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders condemned the incident, saying it “strongly and angrily condemns the acknowledged murder by the Israeli army” of al-Sharif and his colleagues.
