LONDON

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed grave concern over the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, following the deaths of five reporters in an Israeli airstrike.

The Israeli army targeted a journalists’ tent near the Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City late Sunday, killing six journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qraiqea, according to the government media office in the enclave.

“We are gravely concerned by the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza,” a spokesperson for Starmer told reporters.

“Reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law, and journalists must be able to report independently, without fear, and Israel must ensure journalists can carry out their work safely.”

Israel has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, and caused a deepening humanitarian crisis including starvation deaths, disease and forced migration.

At least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the UN human rights office.