Gaza, March 09 (QNA) - The number of Palestinian journalists martyred since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, has risen to 261.

Government Media Office in Gaza stated that with the death of journalist Amal Shamali due to Israeli shelling in central Gaza early on Monday, the total number of journalists killed by the occupation has reached 261.

Shamali was martyred alongside a child and another woman, while around 10 others were injured in heavy Israeli occupation shelling targeting displacement tents in al-Sawarka area in central Gaza.

Since the start of its aggression, the Israeli occupation has directly targeted journalists, killing many, destroying dozens of media institutions, offices, and radio and TV stations operating in Gaza, and detaining dozens of journalists in its prisons. About 400 journalists have been injured, some suffering permanent disabilities such as paralysis or amputations. Foreign press access to Gaza is also blocked, a move described by human rights and international organizations as an attempt to obscure the truth and conceal crimes committed against civilians in the Strip. (QNA)