GENEVA, September 4. /TASS/. The global community must stop Israel before it silences all journalists covering its military operation in the Gaza Strip, Irene Khan, UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a statement.

"We urge the international community - member states as well as the key organs of the United Nations to act without delay before Israel shuts down the last voices in Gaza," they said.

The rapporteurs are outraged over the deaths of six more Palestinian journalists, including two women, in multiple Israeli strikes on the embattled enclave over the past 10 days.

The killings come as Israel escalates its military takeover of Gaza City and barely two weeks after six journalists, including Gaza’s chief Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, were deliberately targeted and killed in a strike near Al Shifa Hospital.

"We demand independent criminal investigations into the killings and attacks on journalists in Gaza and across the Palestinian territory and full reparation and justice for their families and an end to the unprecedented impunity enjoyed by Israel," the experts said.

They reiterated that at least 248 journalists have now been killed in Gaza, more than in any other conflict in modern times.

Mariam Abu Daqqa, a visual journalist who freelanced for the Associated Press was among those killed in two Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on August 25, as were Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Salama, freelance journalist Moaz Abu Taha, Reuters photojournalist Hussam al-Masri, and Ahmed Abu Aziz who worked for several media outlets including the Middle East Eye.

Islam Abed, a correspondent from Al-Quds Today TV, was killed in a strike on a residential apartment in Gaza city on August 31. Her husband and child were also reportedly killed in that strike.

"On the one hand, Israel continues to deny access to any international media and on the other, it kills with impunity local journalists who are the world’s only professional lens into the agony of genocide and famine unfolding in Gaza," the UN rapporteurs said.

"Even as the journalists starve, lose family members, sleep in tents and get targeted by the Israeli military like the rest of Gaza’s population, they have continued to courageously bear witness to atrocities committed by the Israeli military," they noted.

"We also demand that Israel grant full and free access to international media. Their presence will give a measure of safety to local journalists and will keep the reports flowing into the world," the experts asserted.

According to Al Jazeera television channel, Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital on August 25 killed 20 people, including five journalists and four hospital employees. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office expressed profound regret over the incident.