Thank you to those constituents who have contacted me about journalists’ deaths in Gaza.
Journalists are risking their lives to report vital news from the front line, and I pay tribute to their bravery.
I am shocked by the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, including five Al Jazeera reporters and staff who were killed on 11 August. Journalists covering conflicts are rightly protected under humanitarian law and the UK continues to call for Israel to ensure these journalists can work safely.
The killing of journalists is unacceptable. Their unique and vital role is to bear witness to what is happening around the world, and that is why they should be protected in doing their job.
The only way to protect journalists and all the people in Gaza is to get a ceasefire which is what the UK Government and many other countries have been consistently calling for. We will continue to do so.
Thank you once again for contacting me about this very serious matter.
Best wishes
Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland