Just two weeks ago, Israel executed a series of airstrikes in Gaza City that killed dozens. These strikes so unambiguously killed not just insurgents but several journalists that they prompted international outrage and condemnation. Among them was Anas Al-Sharif, a well-known Al Jazeera correspondent, who had been reporting on the brutal war. The strikes targeted the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Unfortunately, five journalists and medical personnel were killed in two separate attacks that occurred only minutes apart from one another.
Israeli military snipers targeted a hospital balcony with their artillery, killing 20 civilians. Journalists were taking advantage of that vantage point to care a better view of Khan Younis. The attack left five journalists dead: Mohammad Salama, a cameraman for Al Jazeera; Hussam Al-Masri, a contractor for Reuters; Mariam Abu Dagga, who worked with the Associated Press (AP) and other outlets; and freelance journalists Moath Abu Taha and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Moreover, Hassan Douhan, another journalist, was killed during the Israeli bombardments in Khan Younis.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted to carrying out a strike in the general area of the hospital. General Effie Defrin’s statement indicates the military was aware of these reports of civilians being attacked during the assault. This led to the injuring of journalists, included in this as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sorry for what he called a “tragic mishap” at Nasser Hospital.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), vehemently condemned the strikes, asserting that they represented an attempt to “silence the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently amid famine.” This view is consistent with the larger alarm bells that have been sounding about the safety of journalists working in conflict zones.
In a statement delivered through spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that journalists must be “protected at all times” and allowed to operate “without interference, intimidation, or harm.” He emphasized the “extreme dangers” journalists confront when witnessing frontlines, stressing the importance of protecting their freedoms.
At the time of the attack, Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, reflected on the conditions under which it occurred. First responders—journalists among them—were murdered in the second attack, which hit those responding to the initial bombing that first decimated al-Ahli.
“In both instances, it looks like Israel has committed unlawful killings, war crimes, both in the deliberate killing of the Reuters cameraman and in this so-called double tap attack,” – Jodie Ginsberg
Mariam Abu Dagga, one of the journalists killed in the strike, was committed to her craft. She made clear that covering the war in Gaza was, for her, an essential journalistic task.
“We are covering the war on Gaza because this is our journalistic duty. It is entrusted upon us,” – Mariam Abu Dagga
The Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian Territories declared the attacks an “unacceptable violation of media freedoms.” They stressed the heavy toll on press freedom and journalist safety. Their statement reflected their increasing concern that Israel be held accountable for its history of actions against journalists.
“Unfortunately, we have found the IDF’s willingness and ability to investigate itself in past incidents to rarely result in clarity and action, raising serious questions including whether Israel is deliberately targeting live feeds in order to suppress information,” – Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian Territories
They amplified their anger that independent journalists were the targets along with the attacks on a hospital. It could not exist in a more protected place under international law.
“We are outraged that independent journalists were among the victims of this strike on the hospital, a location that is protected under international law. These journalists were present in their professional capacity, doing critical work bearing witness,” – Top AP and Reuters executives
That tragic loss of life has sounded alarm bells around the world about press freedom in conflict zones. Journalists, particularly women journalists, have been at disproportionate risk when reporting from conflict zones ravaged by war and oppression. All of these recent events have renewed and strengthened calls for better, safer working conditions for war correspondents around the world.
Hatem Sadeq Omar, a journalist for Reuters who covered the tumult and confusion accompanying the deadly strikes. He recalled the scramble to get the injured out.
“As we were evacuating the injured, while the civil defence and emergency workers were present, the staircase was targeted for the second time,” – Hatem Sadeq Omar
The international community should be watching the developments very closely. As union and non-profit organizations, we are in solidarity with all advocacy organizations working to secure justice for those killed while doing their jobs professionally. The incidents are part of a larger, troubling picture of Israel’s attacks on the press. They show how this is suffocating freedom of expression across the country.
