ISTANBUL

A Palestinian cameraman was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza City on Tuesday, in the latest attack on reporters in the enclave, local authorities said.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said Rasmi Jihad Salem, who works for the Manara Media Company, lost his life in the strike that targeted Abu al-Amin Street near al-Jalaa Square in Gaza City.  

The new fatality brought the death toll of journalists in Gaza since October 2023 to 248.   

The media office strongly condemned Israel’s deliberate policy of assassinating Palestinian journalists and media workers, calling it a systematic campaign against the press.  

It called on the International Federation of Journalists, the Arab Journalists Union, and press bodies worldwide to denounce these “systematic crimes,” urging international organizations to hold Israel accountable.  

It also placed responsibility on Israel, the US, the UK, Germany, and France, saying they are complicit in the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”  

The office urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop killing journalists and to ensure their protection, stressing the need for accountability before international courts.  

Israel has killed more than 63,600 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.