UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN chief, on Monday.

"These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face when covering this ongoing war," Dujarric told a daily briefing.

The secretary-general called for an independent and impartial investigation into these killings, he said.

At least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began, said the spokesman.

The secretary-general underscores that journalists and media workers must be respected and protected and allowed to carry out their work free from intimidation or harm, Dujarric said. ■