French journalists’ union condemns killing of reporters in Gaza, says 244 slain since Oct. 7

ISTANBUL

A French journalists’ union on Tuesday condemned the killing of five reporters in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip and paid tribute to the 244 killed by Israel since late 2023.

“With their deaths, it is the freedom of the press that is being assassinated and the voice of Palestinians that is being silenced,” said the SDJ (Société​​​​​​​ des Journalistes) of BFMTV.

SDJ denounced and condemned the “crime,” adding, “We salute the memory of the 244 journalists killed by the Israeli army since the Oct. 7 attack.”

At least 47 Palestinians, including six journalists, were killed Monday and dozens injured in new Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to medics.

The Palestine Health Ministry initially said 20 people were killed, including five journalists and a firefighter, in an Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

It said the Israeli army hit the fourth floor of one of the complex’s buildings with two airstrikes, noting that a second strike occurred as rescue teams arrived to evacuate the wounded and recover the dead.

Among the deceased was Hussam al-Masri, who worked as a photojournalist for the Reuters news agency, while the Qatari channel Al Jazeera confirmed that its photographer Mohammad Salama was also killed.

A medical source confirmed to Anadolu the death of photojournalist Mariam Abu Dagga from the Associated Press.

Photojournalist Moaz Abu Taha from NBC News was also killed in the strike.

Medical sources told Anadolu that Ahmed Abu Aziz, a freelance reporter with Tunisian and Moroccan news sites, died of injuries in the Israeli strike.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing 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 International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.