Paris, 26 August 2025 — Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has issued a strong condemnation following the deaths of five journalists—Hossam Al-Masri, Mohammed Salama, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Moaz Abu Taha, and Ahmad Abu Aziz—killed in Khan Younis, Palestine, on 25 August.

“I condemn the killing of journalists Hossam Al-Masri, Mohammed Salama, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Moaz Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz, and call for a thorough investigation,” Azoulay stated. She reiterated the urgent need to uphold UN Security Council Resolution 2222, adopted unanimously in 2015, which calls for the protection of journalists and media workers as civilians in conflict zones.

The slain journalists served leading global media outlets: Al-Masri was a Reuters photographer; Salama a photojournalist for Al Jazeera; Abu Daqqa a freelancer for Associated Press and Independent Arabia; Abu Taha a freelance journalist for NBC News; and Abu Aziz reported for Middle East Eye and Tunisian radio Diwan FM. They were reportedly killed within minutes of each other during two airstrikes near Nasser Hospital.

Since October 2023, UNESCO has documented at least 68 journalist fatalities in Palestine connected to their professional duties, a toll that excludes unrelated deaths. The agency is actively providing emergency support to Gaza’s journalists, including psychosocial aid, equipment, and training.

UNESCO’s ongoing mission stresses the vital importance of safeguarding journalists worldwide through awareness, capacity building, and coordination of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.