Since the war began, Israel has targeted, threatened, and bombed journalists in Lebanon, killing and injuring dozens, says a new report by GCHR.
This statement was originally published on gc4hr.org on 18 December 2024.
Journalists, lawyers and other Human Rights Defenders in Lebanon working in the context of the war report severe attacks on those exercising their freedom of expression, says a new report “Attacked from all directions: Media workers under fire in Lebanon’s war”. These include killings, physical attacks, pressures to censor their work, and online intimidation, according to research documented by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), with support from Maharat Foundation and IFEX.
According to the report, based on in-country research by GCHR Advisory Board member Brian Dooley, many journalists “report damage to their physical and mental health, and say they lack sufficient protection from international mechanisms designed to protect them.” He conducted interviews with human rights lawyers, journalists and media organisations in Lebanon in November and December 2024. The report aims to provide an analysis of the dangers facing local and international journalists in Lebanon, assesses the realities of their exercising their rights of freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and offers recommendations to enhance their protection.
The report was prepared as part of a project on Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, and Peacebuilding in Lebanon through Freedom of Expression Rights.
Although journalists in war are supposed to enjoy special protections, media workers in Lebanon have been targeted, killed and vilified for their work on reporting the truth. A 2023 survey of photojournalists working in Lebanon found attacks on them are so common that many considered them to be a normal part of their job.
From the start of the war in Lebanon, Israel directly targeted, threatened and bombed journalists, killing and seriously injuring dozens, disregarding their international protections.
Although a 60-day ceasefire between political factions in Lebanon and the Israeli government was agreed in late November 2024, many violations of the truce were reported within days, and local journalists and others fear the agreement is so fragile it risks breaking down completely, threatening renewed, widespread danger in the imminent future.
While journalists in conflict are supposed to be protected under customary international humanitarian law, and directly targeting them is a war crime, they have been continually attacked in Lebanon. Signs on cars or journalists’ vests saying PRESS did not provide protection to media crews, or their vehicles or equipment.
Faced with these dangers, many report having to restrict their movements in a context when it is vital they are able to access and report the truth. Many also face chronic financial difficulties, and a lack of insurance and protective equipment.
In a companion report by Maharat Foundation prepared as part of the same project, “A War Without Red Lines – Threats and Risks Facing Journalists in Lebanon”, Roula Mikhael, Executive Director of the Maharat Foundation, outlined the importance of protecting journalists: “In the absence of adequate protection measures, Lebanese journalists remain at risk while performing their professional duties. The ongoing targeting of journalists demonstrates the urgent need for international action to provide them with the necessary conditions to work safely. The journalism profession is not just a right; its protection is an obligation for all states, which must ensure that journalists covering wars are protected from attacks so they can continue to convey the truth.”
Journalists in Lebanon are also confronted with internal pressures on their freedom to report, and on their ability to practice their profession. Aside from immediate physical dangers, they face constant threats and harassment from within Lebanese society, including threats made against specific journalists and media outlets. Public anger is often directed at journalists, and some have been seriously injured. Some journalists say that members of political groups threatened to “get them when the war is over.”
Deep internal divisions in Lebanon during the conflict are reflected in a clear division in media coverage. Polarisation escalated to the point where some journalists were accused of treason, labeled as “Zionists,” and certain parties designated as “agents,” with implications that they could meet violent ends. These attacks hinder their ability to provide objective coverage, and encourage self-censorship.
There are hopes that a new media law, long in development and whose progress was halted by the war, could bring some necessary clarity and progress to the media landscape.
Read the full report here.
