The Center for the Protection and Freedom of Journalists called on the international community to take urgent action to stop the ongoing crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian journalists, and to hold those responsible accountable before international justice.
In a statement marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, the Committee to Protect Journalists said, “For decades, Palestinian journalism has been a living witness to the crimes and violations of the occupation, despite attempts to suppress, eliminate, and silence the Palestinian narrative.”
He added: “The Israeli occupation has continued, for decades, its systematic violations against journalists and media outlets in Palestine, without any real accountability, while these crimes have escalated unprecedentedly during the war on Gaza, which witnessed widespread and direct targeting of journalists and media institutions.”
He pointed out that more than 260 Palestinian journalists were killed during the war on Gaza, in one of the bloodiest periods for journalists in modern history, in addition to the destruction of media headquarters and institutions, the arrest of journalists, the prevention of field coverage, and the cutting off of communications and internet services, in an attempt to isolate Palestinians from the world and prevent the documentation of crimes committed against civilians.
The Committee to Protect Journalists stressed that the deliberate targeting of journalists and media institutions constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to war crimes that warrant prosecution and accountability, emphasizing that the continued impunity has encouraged the occupation to continue its attacks against the media and journalists.
The Center for the Protection and Freedom of Journalists called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and the International Federation of Journalists to take practical steps that go beyond statements of condemnation, including supporting independent international investigations, providing urgent protection for Palestinian journalists, and working to hold those responsible for crimes committed against them accountable.
He stressed that protecting journalists is no longer a professional issue that concerns only media workers, but has become a real test of the international community’s commitment to freedom of expression and the right of peoples to access the truth.