UN chief denounces killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, who died due to an Israeli airstrike, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on August 11th.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike near Shifa Hospital killed Al-Jazeera correspondent al-Sharif and his colleagues. Al-Sharif and other Al-Jazeera workers were previously accused by Israel’s military of being members of Hamas.

Hospital officials also confirmed that Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Qreiqeh, four other journalists and two individuals were killed during the airstrike.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: “At least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Journalists and media workers must be respected, they must be protected, and they must be allowed to carry out their work freely, free from fear and free from harassment.”

The killings have been condemned by the UN human rights office, the Foreign Press Association, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International, while Al Jazeera claims that the strike was a “targeted assassination.”

Having been blocked in Israel and having seen its West Bank offices raided last year, Al Jazeera is among the few international outlets still maintaining a significant presence inside Gaza. The network has now lost 11 staff journalists and eight freelancers in the current Gaza war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Observers claim that Israel’s operations in Gaza since October 7th 2023, constitute the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times, with UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric saying that, “the secretary-general calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.”

Hundreds, including fellow reporters, gathered to remember al-Sharif and Qreiqeh on August 11th. In a message prepared for release in the event of his death, al-Sharif wrote: “I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.”

Amnesty International said in a statement: “Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues have been the eyes and voices of Gaza. Starved and exhausted, they continued to bravely report from the frontlines, despite death threats and immense grief.”

Asharq Al-Awsat, Maghrebi.org