UK Gaza Families Urge Immediate Action After Killing of Journalists in Gaza
A group representing hundreds of Palestinian families from Gaza who currently live in the UK has issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior government ministers following the killing of seven media workers in an Israeli strike earlier this month — including well-known Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif.
In a strongly worded letter sent on Tuesday to Sir Keir, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Media Secretary Lisa Nandy, the UK Gaza Community — which represents more than 350 families — condemned the killing of journalists and accused the British government of “silence” in the face of what they described as an ongoing genocide in Gaza. They called for an immediate international investigation as well as urgent diplomatic and political measures aimed at protecting journalists and civilians.
“These journalists are not just names on a screen — they are friends, relatives, former classmates, and people from our neighbourhoods,” the group wrote, adding that the deaths were “deeply distressing and personal” for Palestinians living in Britain, who have relied on these reporters to follow the unfolding crisis in their homeland.
Strike on Press Tent
According to the letter, the journalists were killed at approximately 11:22 pm on 10 August, when an Israeli missile struck a press tent located outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The victims were:
- Anas Al-Sharif – Al Jazeera correspondent
- Mohammed Qreiqeh – Al Jazeera correspondent
- Ibrahim Zaher – Al Jazeera cameraman
- Mohammed Noufal – Al Jazeera cameraman
- Moamen Aliwa – freelance cameraman
- Mohammed Al-Khalidi – freelance journalist
The group stressed that all six journalists were clearly identified as members of the press at the time of the strike.
Systematic Assault on the Media
Citing figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the Gaza government’s media office, the letter highlights that between 180 and 238 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 — a number described as “unprecedented” and “evidence of a systematic attack on press freedom”.
The letter accuses Israel of deliberately attempting to silence media coverage in order to “disguise its genocidal project from public view”.
Demands to the UK Government
The UK Gaza Community called on the British government to take immediate action through four key steps:
- Suspend all arms sales and military cooperation with Israel, given the credible evidence of serious violations of international law.
- Publicly condemn the killing of journalists and the wider targeting of civilians in Gaza.
- Demand and support an independent international investigation into the killing of journalists, with full accountability.
- Use diplomatic channels to ensure the protection of journalists and civilians, in line with international humanitarian law.
“The UK must stand up for its stated values and use its influence to protect journalists and civilians in Gaza,” the group warned, insisting that action is needed “not tomorrow, not in the coming weeks — but now”.
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