The Journalists Syndicate condemned, on Wednesday, "the crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces against a group of our colleagues while they were performing their professional duty in covering the events in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the center of Gaza City, where the occupation war machine directly assassinated the two martyred colleagues Ismail Al-Ghoul, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera Channel, and photographer Rami Al-Rifi."

The union stressed in a statement that this new crime represents a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms that guarantee the protection of journalists and ensure their freedom of work.

It added, "We, in the Journalists Syndicate, hold the occupation forces and their leaders fully responsible for this crime, which comes in the context of escalating assassinations and as part of a systematic policy to suppress the truth and silence the free Palestinian voice."

The Syndicate called on the international community, the International Federation of Journalists, and all human rights and humanitarian institutions to take immediate and urgent action to condemn this crime and work to provide the necessary protection for Palestinian journalists. It also called for an independent international investigation to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes and ensure that they do not escape punishment for their crimes against our Palestinian people.

The Syndicate confirmed that with the martyrdom of colleagues Al-Ghoul and Al-Rifi, the number of martyred journalists since the beginning of the aggression has risen to 157.