UNITED NATIONS, Feb 02 (APP): United Nations human rights experts voiced alarm Thursday at increasing numbers of journalists killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, decrying an apparent “deliberate” Israeli strategy to silence critical reporting.
“We are alarmed at the extraordinarily high numbers of journalists and media workers who have been killed, attacked, injured and detained in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza, in recent months blatantly disregarding international law,” the experts said in a statement
“Rarely have journalists paid such a heavy price for just doing their job as those in Gaza now,” the experts said.
Expressing deep concern, the Human Rights Council-appointed experts highlighted the alarming toll on journalists and media workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The experts noted ‘disturbing reports’ of attacks against media workers despite being clearly identifiable in jackets, helmets and vehicles marked ‘press’, seemingly indicating a ‘deliberate strategy’ by Israeli forces to obstruct and silence critical reporting.
Since 7 October, 122 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, with many others sustaining injuries.
“We condemn all killings, threats and attacks on journalists and call on all parties to the conflict to protect them,” they
said.
Dozens of Palestinian journalists have also been detained by Israeli forces in both Gaza and in the West Bank where harassment, intimidation and attacks on journalists have increased since October 7 attack.
The experts paid tribute to the resilience and courage of media workers in Gaza, noting that rarely have journalists “paid such a heavy price for just doing their job” as those in Gaza now.
“[They] continue to put their own lives on the line every day in the course of duty, while also enduring enormous hardship and tragic loss of colleagues, friends and families in one of the bloodiest, most ruthless conflicts of our times,” the experts said.
They highlighted the case of Al-Jazeera journalist, Wael al-Dahdouh, who lost his wife, two children and a grandson in an Israeli bombing on 25 October. He also survived a drone attack that killed his cameraman in late December.
He lost another son, also an Al-Jazeera journalist, along with another colleague, were killed by an Israeli drone strike targeting their car on 7 January 2024.
The experts stressed the critical importance of the right to information as a ‘survival right’ during times of conflict, on which the very lives of civilians depend, and that journalists play an ‘indispensable role’ as a vital source of information, and as human rights defenders and witnesses to atrocities.
“Journalists are entitled to protection as civilians under international humanitarian law. Targeted attacks and killings of journalists are war crimes,” the experts warned.
The expert called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pay ‘particular attention’ to the dangerous pattern of attacks and impunity for crimes against journalists.
They further urged Israeli authorities to permit journalists to enter Gaza and safeguard the safety of all journalists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The experts called on all combatants to facilitate prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into every journalist’s killing, in accordance with international standards.
The experts were: Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of freedom of opinion and expression; Ms. Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
