Hamilton, MINA – The Foreign Press Association (FPA) on Monday expressed outrage over Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza that killed five journalists working for major international outlets, including Reuters, AP, and Al Jazeera.
“The Foreign Press Association is outraged and in shock,” the group said in a statement, calling the incident the deadliest attack on foreign media workers since the Gaza war began, Anadolu Agency reported.
According to the FPA, the strikes hit the exterior staircase of a hospital where journalists had been positioned with their cameras, adding that the attack came without warning.
“We demand an immediate explanation from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office,” the statement read, urging Israel to stop what it described as a deliberate campaign of targeting journalists.
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The FPA also criticized Israel’s ongoing restrictions on international journalists seeking access to Gaza, saying, “This has gone on far too long. Too many journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel without justification.” It appealed to world leaders to act swiftly to protect press workers, noting, “We cannot do it ourselves.”
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 20 Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, including patients, health workers, civil defense members, and press crews. Several others were injured. The ministry said the Israeli army struck the fourth floor of a hospital complex with two consecutive airstrikes, the second of which hit as rescue teams attempted to evacuate victims.
Among the journalists killed were Hussam al-Masri, a cameraman for Palestine TV; Mohammad Salama, a photographer for Al Jazeera; Mariam Abu Dagga, a photojournalist; Moaz Abu Taha, another Gaza-based photojournalist; and freelance reporter Ahmed Abu Aziz, who contributed to Tunisian and Moroccan outlets. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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