France condemned "the heavy toll paid by local journalists" in Gaza, on Tuesday, August 12, and called on the Israeli authorities to guarantee "safe and unhindered access" for international media. On Sunday, five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City. Among the victims was Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, aged 28. A freelance reporter was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team. Condemning the strike, the French Foreign Ministry said that the journalists were targeted while "carrying out their reporting duties."
Israel has confirmed that it had targeted Sharif, whom it labeled a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas, saying he "posed as a journalist."
"Journalists must never be targeted," Pascal Confavreux, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, said in a statement, adding that they were protected by international humanitarian law. International journalists "must be able to operate freely and independently to document the reality of the conflict," Confavreux added.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, members of the international press have not been allowed to work freely in the Palestinian territory. Only a few hand-picked media outlets have been allowed to enter, embedded with the Israeli army, and their reports are subject to military censorship.
Almost 200 journalists have been killed in the war Israel launched in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 assault, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In July, international news agencies Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP) and Reuters, as well as the BBC, called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza.