Paris- After the assassination of journalist Mustafa Thuraya, while Tel Aviv Tribune correspondent Wael Al Dahdouh takes his last look at the body of his son Hamza, journalists in the Gaza Strip are still in the crosshairs of the Israeli occupation forces.
The President of the International Federation of Journalists, Dominique Bradali, expressed her deep sadness and offered her condolences to the families of the two martyrs and to all Tel Aviv Tribune network workers.
In an exclusive interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Bradali denounced what she called the “deliberate targeting” of journalists inside the besieged sector, praising their unprecedented courage to convey true information documenting the occupation’s crimes.
The president of the International Federation, based in Brussels, also condemned the countries that are complicit with the extreme right-wing government in Israel, considering that they are participating in the killing machine that is claiming the lives of the Palestinian people and journalists.
And to the text of the dialogue
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Journalists Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya were martyred today by Israeli bombing. What is the position of the International Federation of Journalists?
We were extremely shocked when we received the news of the death of our colleagues this morning, north of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where they were targeted, just like a large number of our fellow journalists who died in the Strip more than 3 months ago.
It is clear that Israeli forces are not only bombing to kill as many civilians as possible, but they are also waging a declared war against journalists. The media outlets with the largest number of journalists in the field are considered the most targeted.
The Tel Aviv Tribune network in particular is heavily targeted by the extreme right-wing Israeli government, and we saw this clearly before when the journalist Sherine Abu Aqla was assassinated in Jenin, for example. Journalists today are therefore war targets, and Tel Aviv Tribune journalists are particularly targeted.
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Would you describe this targeting as “deliberate”?
Of course, we cannot ignore that. With all the documented reports and testimonies that we obtain thanks to the courage of those working with us at the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, we cannot say that these journalists were killed by chance because there is no such thing as coincidence, but rather the vast majority of them were targeted deliberately.
On the website of the International Federation of Journalists, we have allocated a section since last October 8 in which we include the name of each journalist and the date, place and circumstances of his death. We update the information on a daily basis and unfortunately several times a day.
We are certain that the extreme right-wing government in Israel wants to kill the largest possible number of journalists and civilians alike.
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It is clear that Israel does not care about statements of condemnation. Will there be actual movements and pressures to stop targeting journalists in the Gaza Strip?
Yes, we have three types of movements, the first of which is political and media pressure, and the second is pressure on the allies of the extremist Netanyahu government, who supply it with bombs, ammunition, and aid of all kinds.
The third pressure card is to seek justice before the International Criminal Court. For example, we have been alongside the Abu Aqla family and other Palestinian journalists since September 2022 in the appeal filed before the court.
For our part, we call on Tel Aviv Tribune to jointly document as many cases of assassination of journalists as possible to allow us to achieve justice and hold those responsible for these crimes accountable.
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You previously discussed the possibility of filing a complaint with the International Criminal Court regarding the occupation’s crimes against journalists. Where did this file reach?
I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a great answer for that. But we will provide an evaluation of the file with our lawyer Christophe Marachand when it is available in the coming days.
On the other hand, I confirm that the first complaints I spoke about previously are accepted by the court and are currently being investigated.
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Do you hold responsibility for countries that use veto power?
Yes, we hold all governments and their partners responsible, whether directly and effectively or through abstention and silence, because they are complicit in the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
These actors are complicit in the killing of healthcare and humanitarian workers, UN staff, and of course, journalists.
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Can you provide any real assistance to journalists in Gaza today?
Although we are unable to go to the Gaza Strip, we provide 3 types of aid thanks to our friends in the Palestinian Federation.
Our branch in Iraq has promised us to allocate $250,000 to transport journalists and their families outside the Gaza Strip without specifying where exactly, in addition to other diplomatic moves that cannot be talked about now because they are somewhat complicated.
In addition, we continue to condemn and organize marches to call on our governments around the world to put an end to this terrible war.
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To what extent has the truth been revealed about Israel’s recklessness and lack of respect for freedom of expression, human rights, and journalists in carrying out their work in the field?
I will speak from France, because I am French, to point out that we cannot return to Gaza. She was the only BBC journalist who was able to do this and she got out very quickly at that time.
Therefore, the whole world must thank Palestinian journalists for their courage in transmitting reliable information from the field, whether in writing or by phone or video, for 4 months and risking their lives.
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Will the number of journalists killed since the beginning of the aggression against Gaza encourage the courage to commit these crimes against the Voice of Truth in other parts of the world?
This is an excellent observation and will give me the opportunity to respond and point out something very important. The International Federation of Journalists has developed a convention to combat impunity for the assassination of journalists, drafted by international experts in the field of justice, and is expected to be adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
The text focuses on three basic points: the establishment of a permanent vigilance committee, the commitment of states to achieve results regarding the protection of freedom of the press, and the possibility of conducting an international investigation.
As everyone knows, agreements like this must be supported by a certain number of governments. Unfortunately, France has not yet made its decision. This agreement, which was launched just weeks before the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, was frozen for two years.
Today, we hope that the tragedy that our colleagues are experiencing in the Gaza Strip will revive this agreement and return it to the discussion table again.
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Would the global institutions that protect the rights of journalists have been so silent if these crimes had occurred in another country? Are there political considerations at the expense of the blood of journalists?
I do not know the position of all the organizations that claim to defend journalists, as they are all non-governmental organizations and some of them live on aid from countries or major media outlets. These people usually have “selective resentments.”
Recently, there was controversy over the actual numbers of journalists killed. The International Federation mentioned 120 journalists, while the numbers of the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders were very small, and its report described 2023 as the “best year” for journalists. Which is wrong, of course.
