The UN expressed its condolences Monday to Anadolu cameraman Mohamed Alaloul, who lost his four children and three siblings in an Israeli airstrike over the weekend on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
“We extend our condolences to your colleague, who is not the first journalist, sadly, to have lost loved ones in Gaza,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
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He was responding to an Anadolu reporter who asked whether UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is planning to establish a commission of inquiry or fact-finding mission for serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
“The Secretary-General, in order to launch an investigation, would need a mandate from a legislative body in the UN,” said Dujarric.
More than 50 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp at midnight local time Saturday.
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According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 36 journalists and media workers have been confirmed dead in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Thirty-one are Palestinians, four are Israelis and one is Lebanese.
ournalists in Gaza remain fearful after an Israeli air strike killed three of their colleagues overnight.
Said al-Taweel, Mohammed Sobboh and Hisham Nawajhah were killed while covering ongoing aerial bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
“Unfortunately, they have sent a warning notice to the Hiji building just now that it will be bombed,” al-Taweel said, his last words, according to Al-Jazeera.
“The area has been evacuated entirely. Women, men, the elderly, kids have all completely fled the area.”
All three were killed as an air strike hit the building.
Samer Zaaneen, another journalist, was with the three when the attack happened.
“We were at the Burj al-Ghefari,” he told Middle East Eye, referring to a building in Gaza.
“We went downstairs to cover [the situation] because there were people fleeing. Said [went] before us. We knew from colleagues that he was there. It was a call from Said that told us to go downstairs to take photos.”