An Al Jazeera journalist was killed on Sunday during an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip, according to the broadcaster.
The Doha-based news network identified the victim as Mohammad Salama, a cameraman working for its bureau in Gaza. Al Jazeera said Salama lost his life while covering Israeli bombardments in the city of Rafah, located in southern Gaza.
The channel strongly condemned his death, describing it as a result of “an Israeli air raid targeting the vicinity of the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Medical Complex in Rafah.” The strike claimed the lives of 14 people, including Salama.
In a statement, Al Jazeera demanded that those responsible be held to account and accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists to silence media coverage of the ongoing war.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also confirmed Salama’s death and added that several other journalists were wounded in the attack. According to CPJ, more than 170 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the conflict erupted last year.
Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of intentionally striking reporters. The Israeli military insists its operations are aimed at Hamas and other armed groups, though it acknowledges that journalists have been among the casualties.
Al Jazeera has now lost multiple staff members since the war began. In May, another correspondent, Shireen Abu Akleh, was killed while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank. That case drew widespread international condemnation and calls for accountability.
The Gaza war, which began after Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel last year, has left tens of thousands dead and displaced most of Gaza’s population. Amid the devastation, journalists continue to face grave risks while reporting from the enclave.
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