Media groups speak out after Israeli strike on Gaza journalists

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international journalists stationed in Israel and the Palestinian territories, says it is “outraged” by Israel’s killing of journalists in Gaza in a targeted strike overnight.

“These colleagues were carrying out their duty as journalists and reporting on events as they occurred,” the FPA says in a statement. “The Israeli military has repeatedly labelled Palestinian journalists as militants, often without verifiable evidence, turning them into targets.”

The IDF has published documents it says show that al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, who was killed in the strike, was a “terrorist operating under the guise of a journalist.” A second journalist and three videographers were also killed in the strike, according to the Qatari network.

The FPA also criticizes the Israeli government for slinging accusations of bias at foreign reporters and says it has “vilified foreign press reporting,” while barring independent access to Gaza.

“We call on Israel to cease its attacks on journalists in Gaza and allow journalists to enter and report freely,” the statement reads.

Media advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists says Israel is guilty of war crimes if it targets journalists.

“Journalists are civilians. They must never be targeted in war. And to do so is a war crime,” Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, tells AFP.