Palestine Embassy in Malaysia Decries Systematic Targeting of Journalists in Gaza
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- The Palestine Embassy in Malaysia condemns the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza by the Israeli regime as a deliberate attempt to suppress coverage of the humanitarian crisis.
In a statement on Tuesday, the embassy said the occupying power has continued to bar Arab and international journalists from entering Gaza under the pretext that it is a military operations zone, a restriction which it asserted was intended to control the narrative and conceal the reality on the ground.
“The Israeli occupation has escalated its attacks on Palestinian journalists, employing targeted killings, arbitrary detentions, and equipment confiscation to silence independent reporting.
“Only Palestinian journalists and correspondents remain in the Gaza Strip to document and report on the situation. These individuals face grave dangers, including being deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli forces in an effort to silence their reporting,” the statement read.
At least 238 media personnel have been reported killed in the ongoing Israeli atrocities as of Aug 25.
It said that in the latest incident on Aug 25, an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis killed five journalists. They were Hossam Al-Masri, who worked for Palestine TV and Reuters, Al Jazeera’s Muhammad Salama, Mariam Abu Daqqa from Independent Arabia and Associated Press, and NBC’s Muath Abu Taha and Ahmad Abu Aziz.
Two other journalists, Hatem Omar (Reuters) and Jamal Badah (Palestine Today TV), were reported injured in the attack.
On the same day, a correspondent for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Hassan Yusuf Dohhan, was shot dead by Israeli forces while in a displacement tent in Khan Yunis.
This followed the killing of Khaled Al-Madhoun, a Palestinian TV cameraman, on Aug 23 in northern Gaza while documenting the crisis.
The embassy also highlighted that approximately 147 journalists including 20 women have been detained and subjected to physical and psychological torture including enforced disappearances, medical neglect, and confiscation of equipment, which contravene international humanitarian law and United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2222.
It noted that the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has been actively documenting violations, supporting affected media workers, and condemning Israel’s actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Despite threats to its members and destruction of media infrastructure, the syndicate remains committed to defending press freedom and the rights of journalists.
The embassy urged the international community, including the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and press freedom organisations, to impose sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for war crimes, safeguard journalists under international law, support independent investigations into attacks on media personnel, and provide resources to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
“Defending the rights of Palestinian journalists and ensuring that their voices are not silenced, despite the occupation’s relentless attempts to suppress free expression, are fundamental imperatives for upholding press freedom and preserving the truth,” it said.
-- BERNAMA
