Al Jazeera demands punishment of Israeli officials for killing of its correspondents in Gaza

Al Jazeera Media Network demanded Saturday that the international community and legal institutions punish Israeli officials for crimes committed against its correspondents and staff in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which was the killing of cameraman Ahmed Washah.

The network affirmed its intention to prosecute the perpetrators of the crimes.

It came in a statement by the network following the killing of the Al Jazeera Mubasher cameraman in an Israeli strike that targeted a house in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The network said it condemns the killing of Washah, noting that his brother, Mohammed, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was killed in an Israeli strike two months earlier.

It added that Ahmed’s killing brings the number of Al Jazeera Media Network staff killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 12.

The network denounced “the continuation of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against its correspondents and staff in Gaza.”

It renewed its demand that the international community and relevant legal institutions take urgent practical measures to punish the Israeli officials involved in the grave crimes, and to adopt deterrent mechanisms to stop the targeting of journalists.

Al Jazeera affirmed its determination to take all legal measures to prosecute the perpetrators of the crimes, while stressing its commitment to continuing to cover events in the enclave, despite the Israeli army’s attempts to silence the voice of truth and its continued targeting of journalists and photographers working with the network.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, 262 journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, one of the highest recorded tolls worldwide for the targeting of journalists during conflicts.

In a statement on May 3, the office said the toll reflects, in its assessment, a systematic policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice and preventing facts from reaching the world.

It added that 50 journalists had been detained in harsh conditions, in violation of international laws guaranteeing the protection of journalists, while three journalists remain missing due to the Israeli army’s actions, raising serious concerns about their fate.

More than 420 journalists have also suffered varying injuries, including serious wounds that led to amputations and permanent disabilities, according to the office.