Israel is eliminating Gaza’s journalist – not even hiding it | Jodie Ginsberg

ISlar Always bragging This is the only country in the region that supports press freedom. That boast The hollow sounds Even before the current war. Now, not even pretend. Israel openly and boldly on Sunday Being killed Six journalists and media workers living in a living tent.

Israel Accusation One of these journalists – Al Jazeera Anas al-Sharif – Become a terrorist. It did not say what crimes it thought other people had committed, which would justify killing them. The law of war is clear: journalists are civilians. Deliberately targeting them in war is a war crime.

It is no surprise that Israel believes it can get rid of murder. In the twenty years before October 7, Israeli troops Killed 20 journalists. No one is responsible for the death of any dead person, including Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh,who kill Shock waves will be sent in the region in 2022. Abu Akleh, a dual American-Palestine citizen, is a household name in the Middle East, just as al-Sharif became a familiar face for viewers, his coverage of Israel’s attack on Gaza.

Israel begins making threaten Shortly after the war began, confronted al-Sharif. The reporter reported receiving multiple calls from Israeli officers directing him to stop reporting and leave Northern Gaza, as well as voice notes on WhatsApp, revealing his location. In December 2023, Israeli air raids attacked his family, killing the journalist’s 90-year-old father.

A year later, the Israeli army Suspected of public disclosure Anas al-Sharif is a terrorist-claimed Repeated last month Shortly after Anas al-Sharif exposed The hunger levels throughout Gaza are rampant as Israel refuses to allow adequate food aid. one Israeli spokesman accused of al-sharif lie famine – Although independent and international groups have supported widespread hunger.

The Committee for Protecting Journalists Israel has read this script from Israel before: pattern The reporter is defendant Become a terrorist without reliable evidence. Indeed, we are very worried about al-sharif’s goal release Public statements urge him to protect.

Instead, al-Sharif was killed along with his colleagues in an openly acknowledged attack in Israel with the aim of killing journalists. Al-Sharif is one of the 184 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since the beginning of the war. There are at least 26 journalists CPJ believes he deliberately made it the goal of journalists’ work. Others are certainly killed by Israel, but whether Israel knows exactly what they are journalists we cannot be sure of.

Israel deny deliberately Target reporter. But the evidence suggests other circumstances. To date, Israel has provided No independent verified evidence Terrorists are any journalists for terrorists. In one case, Al Jazeera reporter Ismail al-Ghoul, file-making It is said to show That al-ghoul became the leader of the Hamas Camp – when he was 10 years old. Israel shared the file on al-sharif, Posted on Xindicating that al-Sharif receives a Hamas salary in 2023. The documents provide no evidence that he is an active member of the terrorist group, although Israel says it hasCurrent intelligence” – It was not published – indicating that al-Sharif was an active Hamas military wing agent.

No wonder Israel Now, people are so confident in killing journalists that it is possible to admit to killing six journalists and media workers, with only one allegedly target being its target. The international community is suffering from Israel’s actions.

This includes our own news community. Although the committees that protected journalists received a lot of support and solidarity at the start of the full Russian invasion when the killing of journalists was killed in Ukraine, international media responded at best to the killing of colleagues in Gaza in the war. In some compelling killings – such as Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah – Some governments Break the worn defense Free press, but no serious condemnation of Israel. Few have taken any specific steps, such as stopping arms sales or suspending trade agreements – which may have forced Israel to change its courses.

Now, there are more than 192 journalists and media workers Being killed The deadliest journalist conflict we have recorded since the beginning of the war – condemn There are growing voices from individual journalists and some newsrooms. However, it is hard to see that if Israel can destroy the entire news team without the international community, then this will prevent further attacks on journalists.

We’ve entered our window Gaza It is becoming more and more limited. As Israel enters the latest attack phase of the territory, it is now possible to shut down completely.