TEHRAN – Iran has condemned the targeted killing of journalists by Israeli military forces over the past three months.

More than three months have elapsed since the outbreak of an unjust war on the people in Gaza Strip, during which 111 journalists and camerapersons have tragically lost their lives. This represents an unprecedented and horrifying statistics in the history of conflict in the region,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian wrote in a post on the X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

In the post, he extended heartfelt condolences to Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, who recently lost his son in an Israeli air raid in southern Gaza. Israeli forces killed Hamza Dahdouh, a photojournalist, and his colleague Mustafa Thuraya by targeting the vehicle that they were travelling in. 

Wael Dahdouh, 52, had already lost his wife, daughter, grandson and 15-year-old son in October in an Israeli air raid that hit the house they were sheltering in.

“The heightened global awareness and judgment surrounding the plight of Gaza have become a cause of deep concern for the Zionists, intensifying the world's abhorrence and animosity toward the criminal regime. Their desperate attempts to control the narrative will face increasing international condemnation,” Amir Abdollahian noted.

He further emphasized the immediate need for accountability and justice in the face of such egregious violations by the Israeli forces.

The Israel-Gaza war has taken a severe toll on journalists since the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas launched its surprise operation against Israel on October 7 in response to the intensifying crimes of the occupying regime. After Israel’s declaration of war on Gaza, air strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip have been ongoing.

Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict during the Israeli ground assault, including devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages and extensive power outages. 

Besides journalists’ casualties, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah has announced in its daily update on Monday that at least 22,835 people have been killed in the besieged enclave since the beginning of the war. Nearly 70 per cent of those killed in this war are women and children.

MAS