“I condemn the murder of journalists Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Moamin Aliwa and Mohammed al-Khaldi and call for an in-depth and transparent investigation”, ” UnescoDirector General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement Tuesday.
Five of the six worked for the media organization of influential Qatari, Al Jazeera: Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh were on air correspondents, while Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamin Aliwa worked as cameras operators. Mohammed al-Khaldi was an independent photojournalist.
They were reportedly killed by an Israeli attack on a tent used by media staff at the entrance to the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
Flagrant and premeditated attack
Israeli defense forces (FDI) alleged that the 28-year-old correspondent Anas Al-Sharif was a Hamas agent in service. Al Jazeera denies this firmly, describing the attack as an “assassination” and “yet another flagrant and premeditated attack against press freedom”.
The UN Human Rights Council-The independent experts named freedom of expression published a statement On July 31, denouncing the “repeated threats” of an Israeli spokesperson and “unfounded accusations” against Mr. Anas Al-Sharif, signaling it as “a blatant attempt to put his life in danger and to silence her report” in Gaza.
Condemn the attack Tuesday, in the strongest terms, two special rapporteurs described murders as “an attempt to silently make reports on the genocide and famine campaign in progress” in Gaza.
“It is scandalous that the Israeli army first dares to launch a campaign to dirty Anas Al-Sharif as Hamas in order to discredit his reports, then kill him as well as his colleagues for having told the truth to the world,” said the experts, demanding an immediate investigation into murders and full access to international media, which is currently doing an immediate investigation.
Special rapporteurs and other independent experts are appointed and meet regularly at the Human Rights Council. They work in their individual quality, are not UN staff and receive no payment for their work.
Violation of international law
UNESCO chief, Ms. Azoulay, stressed that the targeting of journalists reporting on conflicts is unacceptable and violates international law.
She also reiterated her call to respect United Nations Security Council resolution 2222which was adopted unanimously in 2015 to protect journalists, media professionals and associated staff in conflict situations.
Since October 2023, UNESCO has reported at least 62 journalists and media workers killed in the exercise of its functions in Palestine, excluding deaths in the circumstances unrelated to their work, while Ohchr Reports that at least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in the same time.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
