SRINAGAR: At least 239 journalists and media workers have been killed, several have been injured and others are missing during the war in Gaza, according to International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) condemn the killings and continued attacks on journalists. The IFJ calls for an immediate investigation into their deaths.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger as per Reuters said, “Media workers in areas of armed conflict must be treated and protected as civilians and allowed to perform their work without interference. The IFJ calls on all combatants in this conflict to do their utmost to safeguard journalists and media professionals. There is intense and deeply concerned interest in this conflict all round the world, but people will only be able to understand what is really going on if journalists are allowed to do their work.”.
Throughout the weekend, Israeli retaliatory airstrikes completely or partially destroyed the headquarters of several media outlets, including the newsroom of Al-Ayyam newspaper, Gaza FM radio studio located in Palestine Tower, and headquarters of Shehab news agency, among others. The offices of Palestinian news agency Ma’an were severely damaged due to the flattening of Al-Watan Tower.
Nearly 400 aid workers were killed last year, close to half of them in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN has said. This marked the most deadly year since records began in 1997.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 62,000 people and wounded over 160,275.
