UN expert condemns Israeli killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza
The UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression has condemned Israel’s killing last week of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi in Gaza, urging that their deaths be prosecuted as a war crime.
“I strongly denounce the deliberate targeting by Israel of two journalists in Gaza, which adds to an already appalling toll of reporters and media workers killed in this war,” Irene Khan said in a statement.
The two men were killed in a July 31 air strike by the Israeli military, which said al-Ghoul was a Hamas operative who took part in the October 7 attack against Israel.
Al Jazeera has rejected what it said are “baseless allegations”, saying that journalism was his only profession.
“Given Israel’s failure to heed earlier calls for accountability, I urge the International Criminal Court to move swiftly to prosecute the killings of journalists in Gaza as a war crime and call on the international community to urgently consider the use of international mechanisms to investigate crimes against journalists in Gaza,” Khan added.
Palestinians inspect a vehicle where Al Jazeera TV said its reporter Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, July 31
