Image Source: The New Arab
London – The killing of journalists in Gaza have reached alarming levels as they increasingly become targets of Israeli forces. The recent killing of Palestinian journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and his colleague Rami Al Refee by an Israeli airstrike highlights the severity of the situation, the dangers facing the press in Gaza, and the lack of protection for Palestinian media.
Journalists are civilians and, as such, are protected under international law and targeting them constitutes a war crime. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a renowned global organisation dedicated to defending the rights of journalists, has reported that the Israeli regime has directly targeted several journalists.
“CPJ has called for an end to the longstanding pattern of impunity in cases of journalists killed by the IDF.”
The CJP has also determined that at least 113 journalists and media personnel have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began, making it the deadliest period for journalists. Despite this, Israeli forces have consistently denied targeting the media.
However, freelance journalist and political analyst Yousef Alhelou estimates the number of Palestinian journalists killed to be much higher. He emphasised that despite the number of journalist killings, what is truly shocking and frustrating is that this is allowed to happen by various major international media outlets, who sit idly by and watch Israeli forces commit atrocities with impunity.
“The total number of Palestinian journalists killed so far is 165, making it the highest number of Palestinian journalists killed in any conflict around the world. The international press must intervene to ensure the safety of Palestinian journalists, who are clearly marked as press and wear vests and helmets. However, this gear does not help Palestinians.”
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Complete Israel Media Censorship on Gaza
Woefully, the situation extends beyond the deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists and media personnel. Israel’s media censorship prevents international journalists and media outlets from entering and reporting on the genocide in Gaza.
This has forced the Palestinian people to become citizen journalists and report from the ground. Despite wearing protective gear and marked press signs, they are not spared from Israel’s attacks, which indicates an attempt to hide the multitude of crimes being committed in the enclave.
Given the limitations these citizen journalists face regarding internet access and outside communication, Alhelou states that there is a shortage of coverage and that what we see only constitutes ten percent of what’s happening in Gaza, especially in the north.
“Israel does want to hide its crimes. Many journalists have either been killed, fled, or are afraid to report because they received threats to themselves and their families. But in each war and each aggression, Israel closes the borders and prevents journalists from coming into Gaza.”
“Only embedded journalists for the foreign press, such as Fox News, are allowed, and we know how biased these American media outlets are towards the Israeli army. They only report what the IDF wants them to see.”
