By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US asked its counterpart in the region Wednesday for additional information on reports that Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip.
“We’ve seen those reports and are tracking the details. We also have asked our counterparts in the region for additional information should they have it,” State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told Anadolu when asked about the killings.
Patel said the US offers “deep condolences” to the many Palestinian journalists in Gaza who have been killed or injured in Israel’s assaults since Oct. 7.
He said the US continues to engage with Israel and its military on the importance of protecting journalists and civilians.
“We believe that journalists have been integral to shedding light on the dire circumstances in the Gaza Strip right now. And we have been absolutely clear that Israel has a moral obligation and a strategic imperative to protect civilians and of course, part of that includes journalists,” he added.
The Doha-based Qatari broadcaster said the journalists were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit their car Wednesday near the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said the fatalities brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza to 165 since Oct. 7.
It urged the international community and media organizations “to deter the occupation and prosecute it in international courts for its ongoing crimes, and to pressure it to stop the crime of genocide and halt the killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists."