Statement on the targeting and killing of journalists in Palestine and Lebanon

We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese journalists bravely reporting amid life-threatening risks and demand that all governments, press freedom organizations, and human rights bodies take concrete steps to ensure their protection.

As of today, Palestinian civil society organizations have reported that over 180 journalists have been killed during Israel’s genocidal attack in Gaza, in addition to at least 12 killed in Israeli attacks targeting journalists in Lebanon – a harrowing testament to the ongoing threat journalists face in carrying out their essential work. This pattern of deliberate targeting, often justified by unfounded allegations, has reached alarming new levels. Just last week, Israeli forces leveled baseless accusations against six Al Jazeera journalists, among the last remaining journalists in northern Gaza, labeling them as “terrorists” to justify potential further attacks on those reporting the reality on the ground.

Such accusations, devoid of evidence and aimed at silencing witnesses to the atrocities unfolding in northern Gaza, are especially egregious as journalists remain the only voice for the civilians experiencing forced displacement under what some have called the “General’s Plan.” These smears not only place individual journalists at immediate risk but also undermine the fundamental right to document and disseminate information in war zones. We condemn these attempts to strip journalists of their civilian protections under International Humanitarian Law and are gravely concerned by the calculated risks this poses to the free press.

Despite repeated calls by international press organisations, and increasingly from member states such as those in the Media Freedom Coalition, for independent media access, Israel has continued to bar international journalists from entering Gaza. These denials, alongside Israel’s lethal targeting of local journalists and recent claims against Al Jazeera reporters, amount to a deliberate strategy to obscure wartime realities from an international view. In Lebanon, on 25 October 2024, Israel targeted a journalist’s residence housing 18 journalists in the Hasbaya area in southern Lebanon where media teams were stationed as a safe area. The attack resulted in the killing of 3 journalists. This recent attack is consistent with a pattern of Israeli strikes that deliberately targeted journalists in Lebanon, such as the attack on 13 October 2023 that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six others, as well as the 21 November 2023 attack that killed Al-Mayadeen journalist Farah Omar and Rabih Maamari. This is a clear indication that Israel’s targeting of media personnel extends far beyond Gaza’s borders, creating a hostile environment for journalists across the region.

We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese journalists bravely reporting amid life-threatening risks and demand that all governments, press freedom organizations, and human rights bodies take concrete steps to ensure their protection. The deliberate targeting of journalists is a grave violation of International Law and a direct threat to any sort of accountability for on the ground human rights violations. Immediate, unfettered access for international journalists, alongside robust protections for all media workers, is crucial in ending this campaign against the truth and those who risk their lives to document it.

Furthermore, we condemn the active participation of some Israeli journalists in military operations, such as Channel 12 presenter Danny Kushmaro, who was filmed detonating homes in the Lebanese village of Aita Al-Shaab. Such actions blur the critical distinction between journalists and combatants and undermine journalistic ethics. According to International Humanitarian Law, journalists in war zones are civilians and must not partake in hostilities. For press freedom to be safeguarded and accurate reporting ensured, it is vital that journalists maintain their civilian status and remain independent from all military activities.