Berlin: Germany has expressed strong disapproval over the recent killing of journalists in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, on Wednesday, Christian Wagner, a spokesperson from Germany's Foreign Ministry, emphasized the importance of press freedom, stating that attacks on journalists are unjustifiable and must be prevented. Wagner highlighted the necessity for journalists to remain unharmed during conflicts in Gaza. He described the current situation in Gaza as catastrophic and dangerous, urging immediate changes to improve conditions for both residents and journalists.
Wagner reiterated Germany's call for the Israeli government and all negotiating parties to swiftly reinstate the ceasefire and pursue a political resolution. The call for peace follows the death of Hussam Shabat, an Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his vehicle in Salah ad-Din Street, northern Gaza Strip. The attack also resulted in the death of four civilians and injuries to others.
Earlier, on the same day, Mohammad Mansour, a reporter for Palestine Today TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Batin Al-Sameen area, south of Khan Younis. The situation deteriorated further when Israel unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire on March 18, resuming aggressive airstrikes that have killed hundreds, including over 100 children.
Medical sources have reported a death toll of 506, with 909 injured, as emergency teams continue to search for those trapped under rubble. The escalation has deepened concerns about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to the ongoing siege and restrictions on medical and humanitarian aid.
Since October 2023, Israel's military actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of 50,183 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and injuries to 113,828 others. Additionally, over 10,000 individuals are missing, feared dead beneath their destroyed homes.
The conflict has also caused the displacement of nearly two million people, primarily into the overcrowded southern city of Rafah, marking the largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
