The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip announced on Tuesday that the number of martyred journalists has risen to 166 since the outbreak of the Israeli war on October 7, 2023.

The government office said in a statement: "The number of killed journalists has risen to 166, since the beginning of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, after the martyrdom of journalist Mohammed Abu Saada, a correspondent and photojournalist for several media outlets."

The statement did not disclose the circumstances and date of Abu Saada's death, at a time when Israeli air and artillery bombardment continues on various areas of the Gaza Strip.

The government office condemned the "targeting and killing of Palestinian journalists," calling on the international community and international organizations to "deter the occupation and prosecute it in international courts for its ongoing crimes and pressure it to stop the crime of genocide and stop the crime of killing and assassinating journalists."

On Wednesday, the government office announced the death of Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and its photographer Rami al-Rifi as a result of an Israeli air strike that targeted their car in Gaza City.

Palestinian and international institutions had previously warned of the Israeli army targeting press crews in the Gaza Strip, but Tel Aviv continued to target them despite them wearing press vests and helmets, thus defying international warnings.

With American support, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, leaving more than 131,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine.

In contempt of the international community, Tel Aviv continues the war, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to stop it immediately, and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and to improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.