A group of 17 US senators has written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemning an Israeli attack that killed several Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza and urging the US to pressure Israel to grant foreign media access to the territory and protect journalists.
The letter, led by Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz and signed by 16 other senators, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, emphasizes the need for Israel to provide convincing evidence for its claims and to respect press freedom.
The senators expressed concern over an Israeli strike that killed Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, and Al Jazeera cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, bringing the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023, to 238, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
“Israel has not provided convincing evidence for its claim that al-Sharif was a Hamas militant,” the senators wrote. “Absent a compelling explanation of the military objective for this attack, it appears Israel is publicly admitting to targeting and killing journalists who have shown the world the scale of suffering in Gaza, which would be a violation of international law.”
The group urged President Donald Trump’s administration to provide more information about the State Department’s awareness and analysis of the strike.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce discussed al-Sharif’s killing with Israel, reiterating Israel’s unverified claim that he may have had ties to Hamas.
Al Jazeera has accused Israeli authorities of fabricating evidence to link its staff to Hamas and denounced Israel’s military for waging a “campaign of incitement” against its journalists in the Gaza Strip.
The senators called for the US to “make it clear to Israel that banning and censoring media organizations and targeting or threatening members of the press is unacceptable and must stop.”
They also urged Rubio to press the Israeli government to protect journalists in Gaza and allow international media to access the territory.
While Palestinian journalists in Gaza cover Israel’s devastating war, Israel has barred international journalists from entering the Strip.
The letter also voiced concern for Israel’s attacks on press freedom elsewhere, condemning the killings of journalists in Lebanon, Israel’s crackdown on journalists and media outlets in the occupied West Bank, harassment by Israeli soldiers of journalists in southern Syria, and the legal threats and censorship faced by Israeli journalists and media organizations.
In a related development, a member of the press office for the US State Department’s Bureau of Near East Affairs, Shahed Ghoreishi, was reportedly fired after suggesting Washington offer condolences for the journalists killed in Gaza.
This move has sparked further controversy and raised questions about the US government’s stance on press freedom and journalist safety.