One year after a Palestinian media ‘nakba’: 1,029 Israeli crimes and attacks on Palestinian media freedoms

MADA calls for an immediate ceasefire and accountability for Israeli forces targeting Palestinian journalists, stressing the urgent need to urgently protect media freedoms.

This statement was originally published on madacenter.org on 8 October 2024.

The first anniversary of the Palestinian media catastrophe falls upon us, after the start of the war of extermination against the Palestinian people, which broke out tragically on October 7 of last year, and its effects were reflected on all the people in all their spectra, including the media movement, which has claimed the lives of dozens of journalists so far. The war also escalated political and military tensions in the region in a way that has made the world fear the outbreak of a regional war, whose devastation may extend to the rest of the countries of the region.

Since the beginning of this war, the occupation forces have escalated their aggression and targeting of civilians in a very dangerous manner, as the war has left 41,870 martyrs in the Gaza Strip and 97,166 injured since October 7, according to medical sources, in addition to those missing under the rubble, and more than 742 martyrs in the West Bank governorates, in addition to the destruction of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals and mosques and targeting the basic infrastructure of the Gaza Strip in general. This is not a final result as long as the war continues, in light of the continued Israeli persistence in bombing with missiles, dropping bombs and targeting civilians with excessive use of force, which confirms the existence of conclusive evidence of the occurrence of war crimes in this war, which international bodies must open an investigation into urgently.

The Israeli aggression has led to the collapse of the health sector in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the collapse of hospitals that were targeted with bombs and missiles, most of which went out of service and were no longer able to deal with the number of wounded, in addition to their lack of life-saving medicines and equipment in clear violation of international humanitarian law. Since the beginning of the aggression, Israel has imposed a strict siege on civilians in the Strip and closed the crossings and borders between Israel and Gaza, preventing the entry of food, which led to the rapid depletion of water, medicines, fuel and electricity, and cut off water supplies, as well as stopping the supply of fuel and electricity. The matter did not stop there, but it cut off all communications and internet services, which led to paralyzing aspects of life and isolating all those in the Gaza Strip from outside, which led to the loss of ways to know what crimes are being committed against civilians, including journalists. A large number of media institutions in the Gaza Strip stopped working as a result of the power and internet outage, while many institutions lost contact with their correspondents inside Gaza.

As a result of this destructive and unjust war, and its disastrous effects on journalists and the media movement, which created a catastrophe in the history of Palestinian media, MADA Center documented the martyrdom of 178 journalists, the last of whom was journalist HASSAN HAMED, who was martyred on Sunday, October 6, 2024, in a barbaric bombing of Jabalia camp. All that remained of him was his press shield and the rest of his body parts. Four journalists have also been lost since the beginning of the war: HAITHAM ABDEL WAHID, NIDAL AL-WAHIDI, IMAD AL-IFRANJI and BAYAN ABU SULTAN.

This war targeted the Palestinian media infrastructure by directly targeting Palestinian journalists and media institutions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the aim of silencing the Palestinian voice and curbing the transmission of the truth to the world. The number of documented violations during one year (October 7, 2023 – October 6, 2024) reached 1058 crimes and crimes, including 1029 violations committed by Israeli parties, representing 97% of the total documented violations.

The war also led to the closure and destruction of 34 Palestinian media institutions, and the destruction of 67 homes of journalists, some of whom had their homes bombed, killing them or their family members. During this period, 69 journalists were arrested, 67 of whom were in the West Bank, in addition to the operations of preventing coverage and targeting to prevent coverage, which reached 323 attacks, most of which targeted journalists in the West Bank while covering various events and activities.

This catastrophe that we are living through today embodies a flagrant violation of human rights in general and media freedoms in particular. It also embodies the depth of the suffering experienced by journalists in Palestine, and the ongoing threats they face in order to convey the suffering of the Palestinian people and document attacks and violations. Despite all of this, the Palestinian media continues to play its courageous role in showing the world the truth, overcoming obstacles and threats.

On the first anniversary of the war, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) salutes the brave Palestinian media professionals who stand at the heart of the battle, carrying words and images as a shield in the face of injustice and aggression. You are soldiers of truth, conveying the pain and suffering of your people to the world, and documenting with your steadfastness and courage the moments of patience and struggle. In the shadow of war and bombardment, you did not back down from performing your message, but rather you were the voice that cannot be silenced, telling the world the story of Palestine with honesty and honor. We stand proudly by your side, because you are the mirror of your people’s struggle, and a fundamental pillar in the battle of awareness and resistance.

As a result of all these violations:

1. MADA Center calls on the international community to take all decisive measures to stop the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stop the aggression and genocide of the Palestinian people, and provide them with protection, in implementation of the multiple decisions of the International Court of Justice.
2. MADA Center calls on the international community to seriously pressure the Israeli authorities to stop the blatant targeting of journalists and media institutions, protect their lives, and allow them to work in a sound media environment in accordance with applicable international laws, like all journalists in the world.
3. MADA Center also calls for the formation of an international investigation committee formed by a decision of the United Nations into the killing of journalists, holding those responsible for these crimes accountable, and achieving justice for all victims.
4. The necessity of revealing the fate of journalists who went missing during the war, as their final fate is still unknown to this day.

List of Names of Journalists Killed by Israeli Occupation Forces since the Beginning of the War