The recent targeting of Al Jazeera journalists Ismail Al-Ghoul and Rami Al-Rifi in Gaza City is unlikely to be the last such attack on journalists. Since 7 October, 2023, Israel has killed nearly 160 journalists, viewing the international silence resulting from their absence as an opportunity to carry out more killings. Israel often accuses journalists of being part of the Palestinian resistance, attempting to justify their actions and mislead global public opinion with false narratives to prevent punitive measures from international press freedom organisations.
Statistics from the Journalists’ Union indicate that the number of journalists martyred since 7 October is 157, with another 185 injured and over 100 adbucted, 57 of whom remain in detention. In addition, 86 media institutions have been completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment. The union asserts that there is a systematic and frenzied campaign against Palestinian journalists happening at the level of politics, the army, and settlers in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The assassination of Al-Ghoul and his cameraman Al-Rifi on Wednesday, 31 July is the latest such event. The duo were killed by an airstrike while in their car in Gaza City, next to the rubble of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh’s destroyed home in Al-Shati refugee camp, amid a group of journalists.
Eyewitness reports indicate that an Israeli drone directly targeted the gathering of journalists outside Haniyeh’s destroyed home. Al-Ghoul and Al-Rifi were assassinated after they and their team responded to an evacuation request, with his car being struck by an Israeli missile as they left the site. Their bodies were transported to Al-Maamdani Hospital.
Jihad Al-Ghoul, Ismail’s brother, stated that the occupation targets those who reveal the truth and portray the suffering of people in Gaza. He explained that what happened to his brother was deliberate. Ismail’s wife and only daughter could not say goodbye to him as they live in central Gaza. They had not seen him for some eight months.
Jihad also mentioned that the Israeli army decided to assassinate his brother as he reported from the site of Haniyeh’s home even though all he had said was, “The world has not moved to stop the ongoing massacre in Gaza for months.” Al-Ghoul’s wife posted a photo on his Facebook account with their daughter, expressing her grief and pain over his loss, revealing their prolonged separation and sorrow.
Shorouq Al-Asaad, a member of the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, told Al-Ahram Weekly that of the 157 journalists martyred since 7 October, 20 were female, killed along with their children and spouses. She highlighted the arrest of 91 journalists by Israel to prevent them from doing their work, which constitutes a severe violation of freedom of expression and an opportunity to hold Israel accountable, especially as it refuses to provide information about the detained journalists.
Al-Asaad stated that the attacks on the Palestinian media scene are not confined to Palestine but represent an assault on all advocates of freedom worldwide. She noted that the death rate among journalists in Palestine has reached 12 per cent, a unique figure in journalistic circles, requiring urgent and serious action to stop the massacre against truth-tellers.
Working with Radio Monte Carlo for years, Al-Asaad pointed out that more than 1,600 journalists have been displaced from their homes and offices. She noted that fewer than 100 journalists remain in northern Gaza, living under extremely difficult conditions, including fear of death, detention, or the destruction of their remaining homes and offices. She highlighted the destruction of the offices of the French news agency and Reuters, making Palestinian journalists feel unsafe in their workplaces and homes. Some journalists have taken refuge in hospitals, which have also been raided, leading to the arrest and torture of many journalists.
Al-Asaad elaborated on the humanitarian challenges faced by journalists resuming their duties: lack of internet, electricity, clean water, and suitable living conditions. Journalists lack medical treatment, with two of them dying due to Israel denying them the travel permits that would enable them to receive medical care.
She mentioned direct threats from the Israeli army, with incitement on social media leading to targeted attacks and the killing of journalists’ family members, such as Anas Al-Sherif, Wael Al-Dahdouh, and Wael Al-Sherif, under false claims.
Al-Asaad emphasised that journalists are targeted intentionally as part of Israel’s efforts to dehumanise Gaza and its inhabitants, portraying the genocide it is perpetrating as a conflict between the civilised West and the barbaric East, and noting that these policies are systematic and not new.
Journalists in the West Bank also face severe attacks, including beatings, arrests, and daily threats while moving around. Fear of talking about their suffering has risen, with journalists now reluctant to reveal the challenges they face after boldly sharing the people’s struggles through the media.
Journalist Muath Amarna from Dheisheh Camp in Bethlehem, who was injured by a bullet to the eye two years ago, was taken in last October for ten months under administrative detention. He was recently released, having lost over 30 kilograms of his weight. He refused to speak to journalists, citing threats from Israeli intelligence officers that they would re-arrest him if he gave interviews.
Journalists have reported that most of those targeted were wearing press vests and badges, which have now become targets. Ahmed Jubran, a photographer for the Palestine News Network, mentioned that field journalists now fear identifying themselves as journalists at checkpoints. Some no longer carry press IDs or protection vests in their cars to avoid being targeted.
Commenting on the situation in the West Bank, Al-Asaad said the union recorded 350 violations, including arrests, beatings, live ammunition injuries, and detentions at 550 military checkpoints and dozens of gates at city and village entrances, where journalists face various forms of humiliation and intimidation.
Al-Asaad, who has worked as a journalist for 30 years, shared her personal experiences of these violations, noting that each Palestinian journalist has their own story of abuse. The worst issue currently, she said, is the fear of writing, as Israel has imposed new laws criminalising coverage that criticises its practices, even if the journalist is working abroad.
Even journalists working for foreign news agencies are not spared Israel’s aggressive measures, let alone the Palestinian media, which Israel broadly categorises as adversarial merely because they are Palestinian. Al-Asaad further noted that most journalists who were martyred, injured, or lost limbs were wearing body armor and helmets marked “Press.” Israel deliberately commits these crimes to silence journalists and propagate its narrative without counter-narratives.
In line with the policy of suppressing the Palestinian narrative, Israel and its supporters impose measures to block Palestinian media and journalists, such as restricting information and images on social media or hacking Palestinian news networks.
Alaa Hamad, Arabic news director at Palestine News Network (PNN), an independent media outlet in both Arabic and English, told Al Ahram weekly that the network has been facing hacking and content restrictions for years. However, these efforts have redoubled since 7 October, causing the network’s posts on social media to become almost invisible, with a reach of 0 per cent due to restrictions imposed by platforms like Facebook, which collaborates with Israel’s Ministry of Internal Security. This collaboration has led to Palestinian news being heavily restricted, significantly impacting local and international news reach.
Alaa Hamad added that Israel’s restrictions on Palestinian content are not limited to social media but extend to hacking the network’s website, especially the English one, several times daily to prevent news from spreading. The network’s technical team, in cooperation with foreign entities and human rights organisations, found that most hacking attempts originated in companies based in Israel. Hamad emphasised that these practices fall under the category of suppressing freedom of expression and access to information, necessitating pressure on both Israel and social media companies to stop policies that violate professional Palestinian news content.
Al-Asaad reiterated that these are war crimes and crimes against humanity, aiming to intimidate journalists and suppress freedom of expression by force. These practices violate international law, highlighting a systematic targeting policy by the occupation that breaches all international conventions and norms protecting journalists and affirming their right to work safely and express themselves freely. Israel must be held accountable, she says.
Al-Asaad stressed that international institutions, notably the International Federation of Journalists, have shown support, emphasising the need to protect Palestinian journalists and hold perpetrators accountable. The federation calls for all media to work professionally, especially after some media outlets misled global public opinion by adopting Israeli disinformation in the first week of the war.
The stance of the International Federation of Journalists is the clearest and most supportive of Palestinian journalists. The syndicate and the federation are working to exert more pressure on international courts and courts in countries that allow for the prosecution of war crimes to hold all those who killed, tortured, imprisoned and endangered journalists accountable.
Al-Asaad mentioned that in the context of joint efforts, legal files are being prepared to approach the International Criminal Court and all international institutions working to promote human rights and freedoms. Despite understanding political pressures on the international court, aiming to politicise and prevent it from accepting Palestinian complaints, this will not deter the syndicate, the international federation, or other international institutions from continuing their work until justice is achieved for Palestinian journalists.
Currently, the syndicate is working on an investigation into the crimes journalists have faced in Israeli prisons by starting to document testimonies from lawyers, journalists, and human rights activists who were tortured.
