"Many were deliberately targeted and killed because they stood up to expose atrocities," Khan said on the sidelines of a session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

She stressed that journalists must be protected in accordance with international law even in areas where combat operations are being carried out, Reuters reports. Even before the Israeli aggression in Gaza, independent and critical journalists there, in particular, were targets of repression, including violence, under Hamas rule.

Meanwhile, in light of the Israeli offensive in Gaza City, Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, asserted that Israel is trying to make the city uninhabitable. She also warned that those countries that provide Israel with weapons must also be held accountable for their actions, as this is in violation of the obligations of UN member states. She announced that she will soon publish a detailed report on this.