The Embassy of the State of Palestine has expressed profound outrage over the assassination of two Palestinian journalists, Hossam Shabat and Mohammed Mansour, who were killed by Israeli forces airstrikes in Gaza on Monday.
According to anonymous sources Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine, was killed along with his wife and children in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his apartment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza and Hossam Shabat, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher channel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike east of Jabalia, northern Gaza.
In a strongly worded statement, Ambassador Tamer Almassri described the killings as a “grave violation of human rights and press freedom,” accusing Israeli forces of attempting to enforce a media blackout on the ongoing violence in Gaza.
“The Embassy of the State of Palestine is appalled and outraged by the assassination of two more Palestinian journalists, Hossam Shabat and Mohammed Mansour, by the Israeli apartheid forces in Gaza. This heinous act is a grave violation of human rights and press freedom and is part of a broader strategy to create a media blackout on Israel’s genocidal crimes in Gaza.
“The State of Palestine unequivocally condemns these cowardly acts, which represent a deliberate and systematic effort by the Israeli Occupation Forces aimed at silencing journalist voices and hiding the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people,” he said.
The deaths of Shabat and Mansour bring the total number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to a staggering 208—a record not seen since World War II. Ambassador Almassri emphasized that these targeted killings are part of a systematic effort to silence media professionals and conceal the atrocities committed against Palestinians.
Calling for urgent international action, the Ambassador urged press advocacy groups and unions worldwide to denounce these crimes and hold Israel accountable. “Journalists are civilians and are protected under international humanitarian law,” he stated, highlighting the need for global intervention to ensure the safety of media workers in conflict zones.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with over 50,082 Palestinians killed and 113,408 wounded in the ongoing conflict. Recent bombardments have claimed the lives of more than 700 people in a single day, including 200 children. Ambassador Almassri called on the international community to act swiftly to end the violence and protect the lives of Palestinian civilians and journalists.
The Embassy’s statement serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by media professionals in conflict zones and the urgent need for accountability and justice.
