HAMILTON, Canada

Canada on Monday condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalists in the Gaza Strip but avoided naming Israel as responsible for the fatal attack.

"Canada condemns the killing of the Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. Journalists are civilians — targeting them is unacceptable. We call for full accountability and for the protection of media everywhere," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

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

Al Jazeera Media Network strongly denounced the killing as a deliberate and premeditated assassination, squarely blaming the Israeli army and government for the attack. It stressed that its Gaza correspondents had long been subjected to open incitement by senior Israeli officials.

The attack brought the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, to 238, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,400 victims since October 2023.

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 International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.​​​​​​​