UN Secretary-General Condemns Israel’s Killing of Six Palestinian Journalists

UN spokesperson Dujarric stated, “These latest killings highlight the extreme dangers journalists face while covering ongoing conflicts.” He noted that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict. The Secretary-General emphasized the need to respect, protect, and enable journalists and media workers to work freely without fear or harassment. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks on Al Jazeera journalists. The five victims of the attacks were Al Jazeera journalists, including 28-year-old Ahmed Sharif. Israel claimed he was a Hamas member, but Al Jazeera strongly denied this, calling the incident an ‘assassination’ and ‘another openly premeditated attack on press freedom.’ The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an end to attacks on journalists and for justice to be served for the victims. The International Federation of Journalists expressed outrage at the killings and demanded accountability for those responsible.