The UN condemns a targeted Israeli attack which killed five journalists from Al Jazeera

The UN Human Rights Office condemned a targeted Israeli attack which killed six journalists in Gaza, describing it as a “serious violation” of international humanitarian law.

Sunday evening, five journalists from Al Jazeera, including the eminent correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, were killed on an Israeli air strike, alongside a sixth independent journalist.

The Israeli army said that it had targeted Sharif, alleging that it had “been at the head of a Hamas terrorist cell”.

Media rights defense and countries such as Qatar have condemned the attack. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the British government was “seriously concerned” and called for an independent investigation.

Speaking to journalists, the official Starmer spokesman said that Israel should make sure that journalists can work safely and report without fear.

Sharif’s funerals, the correspondent for his colleague Al Jazeera Mohammed Qreiqeh and Cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamin Aliwa took place Monday after the missile strike targeted on their tent in Gaza City.

Mohammad al-Khaldi was appointed by doctors at Al-Shifa hospital as a sixth journalist who was killed during the strike, reported the Reuters news agency. Another person was also killed in the attack, he said.

Journalists without borders, a media freedom group, firmly condemned what he called the assassination of Sharif.

The committee to protect journalists (CPJ) said that it was dismayed by the attack and that Israel had not provided evidence to support its allegations against it.

“Israel has a long -standing and documented model of journalists to be terrorists without providing credible evidence,” added the organization.

The Israeli army suggested that he had documents found in Gaza who confirmed that Sharif belonged to Hamas.

He indicated that he included “personnel lists, terrorist training courses, telephone directories and salary documents”.

The only materials that have been published for publication are screenshots of the calculation sheets apparently listing the Hamas agents of the Northern Gaza Strip, noting injuries to Hamas agents and a section of what would be a telephone directory for the East Jabalia battalion of the armed group.

The BBC cannot independently check these documents.

The BBC understands that Sharif worked for a Hamas media team in Gaza before the current conflict.

Israel says he was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell” but has produced little support.

In some of his publications on social networks before his death, the journalist can be understood to criticize Hamas.

No Israeli explanation has so far been given for the murder of the whole team of news from Al Jazeera.

CPJ says that at least 186 journalists have been killed since the start of the military offensive of Israel in Gaza in October 2023 – the deadliest period for journalists since it began to record this data in 1992.

“Israel must respect and protect all civilians, including journalists,” said the United Nations Human Rights Office in an article on X. “We call immediate, safe and unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists.”

Last month, the BBC and the three other press agencies – Reuters, AP and AFP – published a joint declaration expressing “desperately concern” for the journalists of the Strip, who, according to them, are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families.

The Israeli government does not allow international press organizations, including the BBC, in Gaza to report freely, so that many points of sale are based on journalists based in Gaza for coverage.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, five other people died in malnutrition in the last 24 hours, including a child, according to the Ministry of Health managed by Hamas.

This brings the total number of deaths of malnutrition to 222, including 101 children, said the Ministry of Health.

The UN humanitarian agency said on Friday that the amount of aid entering Gaza continues to be “well below the minimum required to meet the immense needs of people”. Last month, UN World Food Security experts warned that “the worst case of famine is currently taking place”.

Israel has continued to deny that there is famine in Gaza and accused the United Nations agencies of not having made aid at the borders and delivering it.

The UN humanitarian agency said it continues to see obstacles and delays while trying to collect the help of border areas controlled by Israeli.

Israel launched its offensive in response to the attack led by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Since then, 61,430 people have been killed in Gaza following the military campaign of Israel, according to the Ministry of Health.