Two more Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza by Israeli fire in two separate attacks, bringing the total number of media workers killed to 249 since the war on the Palestinian enclave began.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said Rasmi Jihad Salem, who works for the Manara Media Company, lost his life in the strike that targeted Abu al-Amin Street near al-Jalaa Square in Gaza City.
Earlier, journalist Eman Al-Zamli was killed by Israeli drone fire while fetching drinking water near the Hamad City neighbourhood, north of Khan Younis, according to local media reports.
Last Sunday, a Palestinian journalist was also killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, according to the Gaza Media Office.
The victim was identified as Islam Abed, a correspondent for Al-Quds Today TV.
'Systematic' targeting
In a statement, the office condemned what it described as the "systematic" targeting of Palestinian journalists and urged the international community to take action to stop the killings and protect media workers.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate also denounced the killing of Abed, calling Israel’s targeting of Palestinian journalists “a stain of shame that will haunt the killers of truth and a full-fledged war crime added to the occupation’s long record of violations against journalists.”
The syndicate held Israel “fully responsible for the killing of colleague Islam Abed and all other media professionals martyred while performing their professional duty” and called on global human rights and media organisations to take “urgent and effective action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for their ongoing crimes against Palestinian journalism.”
Israel has killed at least 63,633 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
