‘War has rules’: UN event urges action to protect Palestinian children
After nearly being killed in June during an Israeli attack on Gaza, 10-year-old Rasha felt compelled to write her will. “If I become a martyr or pass away, please do not cry for me because your tears cause me pain,” she wrote. “I hope my clothes will be given to those in need.”
Rasha was killed in another Israeli strike three months later.
Her story was one of many told to the diplomats who gathered to renew their support for a pledge called Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza, which has been adopted by more than 70 countries.
AP, Reuters demand answers over Nasser Hospital strike that killed journalists
Reuters and The Associated Press (AP) news agencies have demanded that Israel explain the circumstances surrounding an attack on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital last month that killed five journalists, including several working for the agencies.
The two agencies issued a statement on the one-month anniversary of the attack, urging Israel to “explain the deaths of these journalists and to take every step to protect those who continue to cover this conflict”.
“We renew our demand for a clear account from the Israeli authorities and urge the government to uphold its obligations to ensure press freedom and protection,” said the statement. “We remain devastated and outraged by their deaths.”
Among those killed in the strikes were five journalists, including visual journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa, who worked for AP and other news organisations; Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri; and Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist whose work had been published by Reuters.
Al Jazeera photographer Mohammad Salama was also killed in the attack, which Al Jazeera has condemned as “a clear intent to bury the truth”.
AP and Reuters pointed out that the site of the attack – Nasser Hospital – should have been protected under international law.
