HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Wednesday condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

Emphasizing the need for protecting journalists, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference: "These and other similar incidents must be fully and transparently investigated and there must be accountability. We, of course, condemn the killing of any and all journalists."

Dujarric also extended condolences over the incident, and reaffirmed UN's call for "greater and full access for journalists."

Asked how the UN could protect journalists, Dujarric said: "Our ability to protect journalists is through advocacy, which we are doing. We are not the ones who have our hands on the weapons."

"We don't hold the keys to the Rafah crossing. We don't control the issuance of visas. But in this conflict, as in any conflict, the free and unfettered access to journalists is vital to public information. And we're not getting it here. We're not getting it at all," he said.

Gaza’s government media office said the new fatalities brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip to 165 since Oct. 7, 2023.