Killing of journalists in the Israel–Hamas war: Difference between revisions

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<ref name="aljhbk">{{cite news |title=At least 24 journalists have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/10/25/1208019720/journalist-deaths-gaza-israel-hamas#:~:text=The%20organization's%20report%20found%20that,and%20they%20respect%20press%20freedom.}}</ref>

The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has condemned the spate of deaths and restated that: "Targeting journalists is a stark violation of press freedom and international human rights law".<ref name=aljhbk/>
The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has condemned the spate of deaths and restated that: "Targeting journalists is a stark violation of press freedom and international human rights law".<ref name=aljhbk/>


Revision as of 09:06, 12 November 2023

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, at least 34 journalists have been killed, alongside other violence against journalists, making it the deadliest period for journalists in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict since 1992 and the deadliest start of a war in the 21st century for journalists.

An estimated 48 media facilities in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.[citation needed]

Casualties

See also: List of journalists killed in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

As of 13 May 2024, over 36,000 people (35,233 Palestinian[1] and 1,410 Israeli[9]) have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 97 journalists (92 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese)[10] and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 employees of UNRWA.[11]

The vast majority of casualties have been in the Gaza Strip. The death toll reported by the UN OCHA comes from the Gaza Health Ministry.[12] The breakdown of the figures in the UN OCHA report only includes casualties whose identities have been confirmed while the overall figure is the number of reported deaths.[13] According to several articles, the total death toll in Gaza is presumed to be higher than reported,[14][15] with thousands remaining unaccounted for, including those trapped under rubble.[16]

The October 7 attacks on Israel killed 1,139 people, including 764 civilians and 373 Israeli security personnel. A further 252 persons were taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel to the Gaza Strip.[2][17][18]

A further 479 Palestinians, including 116 children, and 9 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).[1] Casualties have also occurred in other parts of Israel, as well as in southern Lebanon, and Syria.[19] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has condemned the spate of deaths and restated that: "Targeting journalists is a stark violation of press freedom and international human rights law".[20]

Violence against journalists by Israeli forces

On October 7, Israeli police damaged equipment of a television crew reporting in Ashkelon.[21] On the same day, a journalist named Omar Abu Shawish was killed in Gaza.[22]

Journalists Mohammed El Salhi, Ibrahim Mohamed Lafi, Mohamed Jarghoun, Ibrahim Qanan, Nidal Al Wahidi, and Haitham Abdelwahid also faced various forms of violence or went missing.[23][24][25]

On 10 October 2023, the Hajji Tower airstrike destroyed an apartement block housing journalists' offices, killing at least three journalists along with civilians.[26][27][28][29] Salam Khalil, the head of the Gaza Journalists Syndicate's Committee of Women Journalists, was also killed in an Israeli strike on the same day.[30]

On October 12, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six others were wounded by IDF artillery in southern Lebanon.[31]

On 25 October, the wife, son and daughter of Al Jazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh were killed by an Israeli airstrike of the house where they were residing in the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip.[32][33]

Claims of IDF targeting of journalists

See also: Israeli war crimes

During the conflict, reports emerged that the IDF were deliberately targeting journalists.[34][35] A Reporters Without Borders (RSF) investigation said that Israel had targeted journalists in missile strikes on 13 October that killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah and injured four others. These two Israeli missile strikes, 30 seconds apart, hit a group of seven journalists in southern Lebanon who were reporting on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In a video, the journalists are seen wearing vests and helmets identifying them as "PRESS". The marking was also present on the roof of their car, which exploded after being hit by the second missile.[36]

According to the Council of Europe, the intentional targeting of journalists constitutes a war crime.[37] The killing of journalists by Israeli forces in Gaza had been a recurring issue, with previous incidents in 2018 and 2021.[38][39] Earlier in 2023, the CPJ released a report stating that 20 journalists had been killed by Israeli military fire since 2001, for which "to date, no one has been held accountable".[20]

Violence against journalists by Palestinian militants

Four Israeli journalists and photographers were killed on the 7 October amid the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, including Yaniv Zohar, a photographer for Israel Hayom, who was killed along with his wife and two daughters in Nahal Oz massacre;[40] Roy Edan, a photographer for Ynet, who was killed in the Kfar Aza massacre;[41] and two editors who were killed in the Re'im music festival massacre: Shai Regev, an entertainment news editor for Ma'ariv,[42] and Ayelet Arnin, an editor for KAN.[43]

Israeli photojournalists driving in a convoy towards Re'im were attacked by Hamas militants, as they were documenting the scene of one of the massacres.[44] The journalists were rescued by IDF reservists after a firefight that lasted roughly half an hour.[44]

Other violence

Alongside those killed, missing or detained, the CPJ has received numerous reports of damage done to journalists' offices and homes, and estimates that "48 media facilities in Gaza have been hit or destroyed".[20]

In Israel, the Israeli journalist Israel Frey was also forced into hiding after he dedicated a prayer to the victims of the war in Gaza and a right-wing mob stormed his home, threatening his family.[20][45]

International response and investigation

Lebanon

Lebanon denounced the killing of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed during an Israeli artillery strike aimed at a group of reporters. Following Abdallah's death, the Lebanese army conducted an on-site assessment, affirming that Israel had launched the missile that killed him.[46][47] Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has instructed its mission to the UN in Beirut to express deep concerns regarding what they perceive as a clear infringement on freedom of opinion and press. Additionally, Lebanon is preparing to file a formal complaint with the UN Security Council, accusing Israel of intentionally causing Abdallah's death.[48][49]

Israel

The Israeli military said it using tank and artillery fire in the vicinity to deter a potential infiltration from Lebanon at the time Issam Abdallah was killed. They stated that their actions were in response to Hezbollah fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, and the incident is currently being reviewed.[46] The Israeli army also initiated an investigation into the circumstances circumstances surrounding Abdallah's death.[49]

On 9 November, following an article published by HonestReporting, Israeli officials suggested that several freelance Palestinian photographers who had documented the 7 October attack in real time must have known of it in advance.[50][51] Outlets that obtained the photos, including AP, Reuters, CNN and the New York Times, denied embedding their reporters with the attackers or having any prior knowledge of the attack.[51][50][52] One of the freelance photographers, who had previously published a photo of himself being kissed on the cheek by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was subsequently dismissed by CNN and AP.[51] Nevertheless, MK Danny Danon suggested that journalists who "took part in recording the assault" would be "eliminated."[53] Gil Hoffman, executive director of HonestReporting, admitted the group had no evidence to back up its claims, and that they were satisfied with journalists' explanations that they did not know about the attacks beforehand.[54]

International press bodies

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is actively looking into all cases of journalists affected—whether killed, injured, detained, or missing—due to the conflict.[55] They have urged Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, make the results of the investigation public, and promptly take measures to guarantee the safety of media personnel covering the conflict.[56] Reuters has called on Israel to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Abdallah's death.[46]

On 1 November, Reporters Without Borders asked the International Criminal Court to begin a priority war crimes investigation into the killing of nine journalists.[57] RSF noted 41 journalists had been killed during the first month of the conflict, stating multiple journalists had been killed by Israel in their homes.[58] Israel maintains records of the place and residence of every person in Gaza.[59] RSF stated Israel had used targeted strikes to kill journalists in Gaza.[60]

Protests and rallies

Numerous Pakistani journalists gathered for a rally in Karachi to condemn what they viewed as intentional attacks on the media in Gaza. They called upon the United Nations to take action to halt Israeli aggression against media outlets. During the rally, they prominently displayed banners and placards featuring images of journalists who had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.[61]

Funerals

Funerals for the journalists who had been killed have taken place in their respective countries. In Lebanon, a large gathering attended Issam Abdallah's funeral in his hometown. His body was adorned with a Lebanese flag and was transported from his family residence to the nearby cemetery in the southern town of Khiam.[48][49][62]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #166". UN OCHA. 15 May 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 15 December 2023. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  3. ^ "14 kids under 10, 25 people over 80: Up-to-date breakdown of Oct 7 victims we know about". Times of Israel. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  4. ^ Abraham, Yuval (6 November 2023). "A Gazan worked in Israeli kibbutzim for decades. Then came Oct. 7". +972 magazine. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023.
  5. ^ "רשימת שמות החטופים לעזה" [The list of names of those abducted to Gaza]. The list of names of those abducted to Gaza (in Hebrew). Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
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  7. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (14 January 2024). "Israeli man killed in Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack in Kfar Yuval, northern Israel". Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  8. ^ Fabian, Emanuel. "Authorities name 347 soldiers, 58 police officers killed in Gaza war". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 November 2023. Six soldiers have also been killed in attacks claimed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Hezbollah terror group on the border with Lebanon since the fighting started. One soldier was killed in a West Bank terror attack. The military's list also includes a soldier killed by friendly fire in the West Bank, a soldier killed due to malfunctioning ammunition on the Lebanon border, and two soldiers killed in a tank accident in northern Israel.
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