France has condemned “the heavy toll paid by local journalists” in Gaza and called on Israeli authorities to guarantee “safe and unhindered access” for international media, Al Jazeera reports.

Condemning the strike that killed four journalists and two freelancers, the French Foreign Ministry said the media workers were targeted while “carrying out their reporting duties”.

“Journalists must never be targeted,” Pascal Confavreux, a ministry spokesman, said in a statement, adding that they were protected by international humanitarian law.

International journalists “must be able to operate freely and independently to document the reality of the conflict”, Confavreux added.