Two Palestinian journalists namely Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, a photographer for Ain Media, who was at the Gaza Strip’s Erez Crossing into Israel, and Mohammad Jarghoun, a reporter with Smart Media, who was to the east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, were shot dead on Saturday amid the escalating war situation in Israel and Gaza Strip. The deaths were confirned by the Palestinian press freedom group MADA and the Journalist Support Committee (JSC). Death of freelance journalist Mohammad El-Salhi was also reported at Gaza Strip on Saturday.
Besides the two deceased Palestinian journalists, Ibrahim Qanan, a correspondent for Al-Ghad channel, was also injured by shrapnel in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip while two other Palestinian photographers, Nidal Al-Wahidi from the Al-Najah channel and Haitham Abdelwahid from the Ain Media agency, have also been reported missing since Saturday.
“We are extremely concerned that three Palestinian journalists have been killed, with two more declared missing, and another injured while reporting on the conflict between Israel and Gaza since it began on Saturday,” said Sherif Mansour, Committee t Protect Journalists' (CPJ) Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.
“We call on all sides to remember that journalists are civilians and should not be targeted. Accurate reporting is critical during times of crisis and the media has a vital role to play in bringing news from Gaza and Israel to the world.”
