https://arab.news/mwc86
- Attack part of systematic targeting campaign against network鈥檚 journalists and their families since October, it says
DOHA: Al Jazeera condemned the Wednesday killing of two of its journalists in an Israeli strike on Gaza, calling the deaths a 鈥渃old-blooded assassination鈥� in a statement.
The Qatar-based news outlet said its Arabic channel correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al Rifi were 鈥渢argeted by Israeli occupation forces鈥� during their coverage of Gaza鈥檚 Al-Shati refugee camp.
鈥淭his latest attack on Al Jazeera journalists is part of a systematic targeting campaign against the network鈥檚 journalists and their families since October 2023,鈥� Al Jazeera added.
Since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, Al Jazeera has aired continuous on-the-ground reporting on the effects of Israel鈥檚 campaign.
The network鈥檚 office in Gaza has already been bombed in the conflict and two other correspondents killed.
Al Jazeera said Ghoul and Rifi鈥檚 killings showed 鈥渢he urgent need for immediate legal action against the occupation forces.鈥�
The channel said it would 鈥減ursue all legal actions to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and stands in unwavering solidarity with all journalists in Gaza.鈥�
In a statement, Hamas condemned the killings as a 鈥渉einous crime鈥� which it said was 鈥渁imed at terrorizing and silencing鈥� Palestinian journalists as they reported 鈥渢he ongoing genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip for nearly ten months.鈥�
Al Jazeera has been the focus of months of criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
Last month, an Israeli court confirmed it had extended a ban on the network, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, initially placed on Al Jazeera in early May.
The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killings and said the incident and others like it 鈥渕ust be fully and transparently investigated and there must be accountability.鈥�
In January, Israel said an Al Jazeera staff journalist and a freelancer killed in an air strike in Gaza were 鈥渢error operatives.鈥�
The following month, it accused another journalist with the channel who was wounded in a separate strike of being a 鈥渄eputy company commander鈥� with Hamas.
Al Jazeera has fiercely denied Israel鈥檚 allegations and accused it of systematically targeting Al Jazeera employees in the Gaza Strip.
Its bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh, was wounded in an Israeli strike in December that killed the network鈥檚 cameraman.
His wife, two of their children and a grandson were killed in the October bombardment of central Gaza鈥檚 Nuseirat refugee camp.
His eldest son was the Al Jazeera staff journalist killed in January when a strike targeted a car in Rafah.