UN voices concern over Israel's murder of Gaza journalists in line of duty

The UN has voiced alarm at the many journalists killed in the Israeli war in Gaza, a day after two Al Jazeera reporters were killed in an Israeli strike on their car.

Al Jazeera on Sunday said two of its Palestinian journalists were killed in the southern city of Rafah, in what it claimed was an Israeli "targeted killing".

"Very concerned by high death toll of media workers in Gaza," the UN rights office said on X, formerly Twitter on Monday.

"Killings of all journalists, including Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Abu Thuria in reported IDF strike on car must be thoroughly, independently investigated to ensure strict compliance with international law, and violations prosecuted," it said.

Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria, who also worked as a video stringer for AFP and other news organisations, were killed while they were "on their way to carry out their duty" for Al Jazeera in Gaza, the network said.

A third freelance journalist, Hazem Rajab, was seriously injured.

Witnesses told AFP that two rockets were fired at the car -- one hit the front of the vehicle and the other hit Hamza who was sitting next to the driver.

The Israeli army told AFP that it had "struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troops", adding that it was "aware of the reports that during the strike, two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also hit".

Israel has responded to Hamas' attack with relentless bombardment and a ground invasion in Gaza that have killed at least 23,084 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry's latest toll.