A Palestinian journalist with the Qatari Al Jazeera television was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday, bringing the death toll of reporters since October 2023 to 262, local authorities said.
In a statement, the Gaza Government Media Office said the killing of Mohammed Wishah, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, reflects a “systematic targeting and assassination” of Palestinian journalists by Israel.
It called on the International Federation of Journalists, the Arab Journalists Union and media bodies worldwide to “condemn these systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza.”
The office appealed to the international community and relevant organisations to “stop these repeated attacks,” prosecute those responsible in international courts, and “exercise serious and effective pressure to stop the crime of genocide” and protect journalists in Gaza.
Al Jazeera condemned the killing.
"Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Mohammed Wishah, following a strike on the vehicle in which he was travelling west of the Gaza Strip," the network said in a statement.
The channel said it "affirms that his killing was not a random act but a deliberate and targeted crime intended to intimidate journalists", adding it "holds Israeli occupation forces fully responsible".
More than 72,000 people have been killed and over 171,000 others injured in a deadly Israeli war in Gaza since October 2023. The assault was halted under a US-backed ceasefire that took effect last October.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 733 Palestinians have been killed and 2,034 injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire.
