Enough death, enough tragedy. The killing of Palestinian journalists must end
Op-ed by Andrew Heslop
Hussam al-Masri. Mariam Abu Dagga. Mohammed Salama. Ahmed Abu Aziz. Moaz Abu Taha. Five names, all journalists, all killed in the Israeli military’s bombing of Nasser hospital outside of Khan Younis, southern Gaza last week.
The five are entered somberly into the memorial of names as journalists, colleagues, professionals who died in the course of doing their jobs. But of course, they are so very much more: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, somebody’s children. They are loved, their loss is profound.
They will also forever be considered heroes, having covered the decimation of Gaza under immense personal toll, at unimaginable cost, surviving circumstances those outside of the conflict can only imagine. That we even know about their struggle, alongside the millions of Palestinians caught in Israel’s war against Hamas, is thanks to the bravery and dedication of Gazan journalists to refuse to let famine, genocide, or war crimes go unheard, unseen, undocumented. To refuse to let Israel destroy Gaza in silence.
For 22 months, the grim acknowledgement of the rollcall of death has only increased: according to CPJ, 189 Palestinian journalists have now been killed in Gaza. The Gaza Media Center and other Palestinian media groups have higher figures – 238; the UN human rights office records 247. It is the greatest tragedy to befall the profession anywhere, at any time.
The industry is outraged, again left distraught at such horror. The suffering, the injustice, feeds a determination to ensure colleagues are honoured, acknowledged and remembered, wherever they are killed.
It also stokes an anger that will burn indefinitely, no matter how many times – over, and over, and over again if necessary – we must shout to stop the killing, to protect journalists, to end impunity for those who attack, murder and kill.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described the horrific scenes at Nasser hospital as a ‘tragic mishap’. Few will find comfort in such hollow words. Israel has a long track record of silence over the killing of our colleagues.
Before the war, 20 cases of Israel Defense Forces’ involvement in the killing of journalists stretching back to 2001 (including the 2022 killing of Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent, Shireen Abu Akleh), have produced zero accountability.
This impunity has led to the IDF now brazenly admitting to directly targeting journalists – a war crime under international law – the most recent, another Al-Jazeera correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, and five colleagues.
States that deliberately target the press are generally those who trample on other fundamental rights without heed or caution: the list of usual suspects in this regard – the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, China, North Korea – is not typically a desirable club to join. Israel has much work to do, much faith to restore in order to remove itself from such bad company.
Since 7th October 2023, at least 26 journalists are believed to have been deliberately targeted. There are surely more.
We expect no justice. But Israel – and all those who target journalists – should be forewarned: it doesn’t mean we will stop demanding it.
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This opinion piece is published as part of coordinated action by media organisations around the world in condemnation of the killings of Palestinian journalists and in solidarity with those who remain working in Gaza.
