UN chief condemns Israeli killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned Israel's killing of six journalists in the Gaza Strip, urging "an independent and impartial investigation."

"Yesterday, colleagues of our Al Jazeera friends here who were working in Gaza were victims yet again of the conflict," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference, conveying Guterres' condemnation of the "killing of the six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli airstrike" in Gaza City Sunday.

"These latest killings highlight the extreme risks that journalists continue to face when covering this ongoing conflict," he said.

Noting that Guterres "calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings," Dujarric reported that "at least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began."

Emphasizing the need to respect journalists and media workers, Dujarric further stated that media workers "must be protected" and must be allowed to work "free from fear and free from harassment."

Asked about how an investigation into the killing of the journalists can be done amid the ongoing conflict, Dujarric said: "Accountability tragically takes time, especially in conflict."

"We've seen it in other recent conflicts, where it sometimes takes a long time to find accountability," he said.

Urging respect for the Geneva Conventions, Dujarric said that "the secretary-general feels that this investigation should identify any perpetrators."e killing of journalists, Dujarric reiterated the need for accountability.

"There needs to be personal accountability for what's happened in this conflict, as to what's happening in other conflicts that we're seeing around the world," he said.

When asked how Israel is "allowed to get away" with the killing of journalists, Dujarric reiterated the need for accountability.

Al Jazeera journalists Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qraiqea were killed Sunday evening, along with three camera operators with the same network and a local freelance reporter, in an Israeli strike targeting a journalists’ tent near the Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed nearly 61,500 victims since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the InternationalCourt of Justice for its war on the enclave.