International human rights reports indicated that the targeting of journalists in the Gaza Strip constitutes an organized Israeli pattern, as press organizations have documented the killing of more than 130 journalists since the beginning of the Israeli war in flagrant violation of international laws.
To shed light on the targeting of journalists in the ongoing war in the Middle East, a new episode of the “From Washington” program – which is broadcast on the “Tel Aviv Tribune 360” platform – discussed reports issued by “Human Rights Watch” confirming that 3 journalists were killed in Lebanon during the month of October. Last October, it was “a deliberate attack against civilians and a clear war crime.”
The reports deny Israeli allegations that the attack site was a hideout for Hezbollah members, adding new evidence to a recurring pattern of direct targeting of journalists.
These reports gain special importance in light of the issuance of two arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, at a time when the world is witnessing an unprecedented rise in the number of victims of journalists in the region.
In this context, the program presenter, Abdul Rahim Faqra, explained that the Committee to Protect Journalists indicated in its latest report that more than 130 journalists were killed in the Israeli war on Gaza, out of tens of thousands of civilians who fell victim to military operations.
These disturbing numbers reinforce what was announced by Reporters Without Borders, which filed 4 complaints against Israel with the International Criminal Court.
War crime
In a special statement to the “From Washington” program, Jonathan Dagher, head of the Middle East department at Reporters Without Borders, confirmed that “targeting journalists and press offices is considered a war crime according to the treaties and laws of the International Court.”
He pointed out that the organization documented the killing of at least 130 male and female journalists, including at least 32 who were directly targeted by Israeli forces.
The program devoted a paragraph to reflect the growing international interest in the suffering of journalists in Gaza, and the winning of Tel Aviv Tribune’s bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh, of the John Aubuchon Award for Freedom of the Press, which is considered one of the most important awards of the National Press Club in Washington.
In an unprecedented move, club director Emily Wilkins traveled to Berlin to hand over the award to Al-Dahdouh in the hospital where he is receiving treatment for his injuries, after losing his wife, son, daughter, and grandson in the Israeli bombing.
Al-Dahdouh stressed that this honor “is an award and a tribute to all fellow journalists, especially the martyrs and the wounded who paid with their blood, their souls, and the blood of their families on the path of this coverage within the framework of Her Majesty and this humanitarian message.”
In a special message sent through the program, Al-Dahdouh stressed the symbolism of the award, which confirms that Palestinian journalists are not alone in their suffering.
Serious steps
He called on the international community to “take serious steps to stop the crimes committed against journalists and civilians in Gaza,” stressing that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip against journalists and against civilians is great and terrible and more and greater than can be imagined.”
Al-Dahdouh called on the international community to stand alongside journalists and civilians in Gaza, saying: “We are not asking you for more than you can do, but what you have in your pocket and what you can do is a lot and a lot.”
He added that the sacrifices of journalists and their families come “in order for you to receive these facts, information and pictures and for you to be aware of what is happening.”
Al-Dahdouh expressed his hope that “the blood that was spilled and the lives that were lost will be the last lives and the last blood,” calling for “this killing to stop” and for “we to remain messengers of the truth and the truth only.”
It is noteworthy that Tel Aviv Tribune Network had submitted a request to the International Criminal Court a year ago to investigate the killing of its correspondent, Sherine Abu Aqla, at the hands of the Israeli army on May 11, 2022.
In another tragic development, journalist Fadi Al-Wahidi remains in critical health condition, while Israel refuses to allow him to be evacuated to receive treatment outside Gaza.