RAMALLAH, January 21, 2026 (WAFA) — The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the deliberate assassination committed by the Israeli occupation army earlier today that led to the killing of journalists Abdul Raouf Shaath, Mohammad Salah Qeshta, and Anas Ghunaim, in a direct strike in the city of Al-Zahraa in central Gaza.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the syndicate said the journalists were targeted while documenting the suffering of civilians in displacement camps, stressing that such attacks are part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice, obstructing the transmission of facts, and concealing crimes committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The syndicate stated that the direct bombing of the journalists’ vehicle constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international humanitarian law, and represents a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and United Nations resolutions guaranteeing the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.

It held the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for the crime, noting that a longstanding policy of impunity has encouraged continued attacks on journalists. It added that hundreds of journalists have been killed since the start of the aggression in 2023, making it one of the deadliest periods for journalism in modern history.

The syndicate called on the International Criminal Court to open urgent and serious investigations and to issue arrest warrants against those responsible for killing journalists. 

It also urged the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and relevant international institutions to take concrete measures beyond statements of condemnation and to work toward providing immediate international protection for Palestinian journalists.

M.N