Reporters Without Borders condemns Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza
RSF says Israeli military deliberately targeted 5 journalists, calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting to halt the killings
A funeral ceremony is being held in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital for Reuters photojournalist Hossam al-Masri, Al Jazeera cameraman Mohammed Salameh, journalist Maryam Abu Deqqa, who worked with several media outlets including Independent Arabia and AP, and NBC News journalist Moaz Abu Taha, all of whom were killed in an Israeli attack on the hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza on August 25, 2025.
BERLIN
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemned Israeli strikes that killed five journalists in Gaza on Monday, calling for immediate UNs Security Council action to halt these killings.
The international press organization stated that five Palestinian journalists were "deliberately targeted" by the Israeli military during strikes on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
“RSF is once again calling for an emergency UN Security Council Meeting to end this massacre of journalists,” the group said, adding that more than 200 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army since October 2023, including at least 56 due to their work.
RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin strongly condemned the latest attack, emphasizing that Israel has been deliberately targeting journalists covering the conflict.
"How far will the Israeli armed forces go in their gradual effort to eliminate information coming from Gaza? How long will they continue to defy international humanitarian law?" Bruttin said in a statement. "The protection of journalists is guaranteed by international law, yet more than 200 of them have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza over the past two years."
The organization pointed out that the killings come a decade after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2222, which specifically addresses the protection of journalists in armed conflicts.
"Ten years after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2222, which protects journalists in times of conflict, the Israeli army is flouting its application," Bruttin said.
“RSF calls for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to ensure this resolution is finally respected, and that concrete measures are taken to end impunity for crimes against journalists, protect Palestinian journalists, and open access to the Gaza Strip to all reporters.”
The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that 20 Palestinians, including patients, health workers, civil defense personnel, and press crews, were killed, while several others were injured in the attack.
The ministry said the Israeli army hit the fourth floor of one of the complex’s buildings with two airstrikes, noting that the second strike occurred as rescue teams arrived to evacuate the wounded and recover the dead.
Official Palestine TV reported that among the deceased was its cameraman Hussam al-Masri, while Qatari channel Al Jazeera confirmed that its photographer Mohammad Salama was also killed.
A medical source cited by Anadolu confirmed the death of photojournalist Mariam Abu Dagga.
Photojournalist Moaz Abu Taha was also killed in the Israeli strike targeting the hospital.
Medical sources also confirmed to Anadolu that Ahmed Abu Aziz, a freelance reporter with Tunisian and Moroccan news sites, died of injuries he sustained in the Israeli strike.
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