Israeli Occupation Authorities Responsible for War Crimes Against Palestinian Journalists

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for flagrant war crimes committed daily against Palestinian journalists. The syndicate reported that from October 7, 2023, until the end of July, 147 journalists were arrested, including 20 female journalists who were subjected to physical and psychological assault and torture. The report also documented the killing of 240 journalists in the Gaza Strip since the start of the aggression, with some being killed along with their families in deliberate attacks on their homes.

Key Takeaways:

• The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate documented the arrest of 147 journalists, including 20 female journalists who were subjected to physical and psychological assault and torture, from October 7, 2023, to the end of July.
• The report stated that dozens of journalists were placed under administrative detention without indictment or trial, facing systematic practices such as beatings, denial of medical treatment, solitary confinement, and confiscation of journalistic equipment.
• The syndicate emphasized that the oppressive nature of the occupation is clear as most journalists are held in administrative detention without charge, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
• The head of the syndicate's Freedoms Committee, Muhammad al-Lahham, stated that the international community's continued silence amounts to complicity with the occupation in its crime against the Palestinian press.
• The occupation's policies demonstrate that they are not targeting individuals, but rather seeking to criminalize Palestinian journalistic work as a whole by demonizing journalists and labeling them as "incitement."
• The report called for the immediate release of all detained journalists, an end to administrative detention, and the formation of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate the occupation's crimes against the Palestinian media.

Statistics:

• 147 journalists were arrested from October 7, 2023, to the end of July, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
• 20 female journalists were arrested and subjected to physical and psychological assault and torture during the same period.
• 240 journalists were killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the aggression, according to the report.
• Dozens of journalists were placed under administrative detention without indictment or trial.
• The Report stated that some journalists have been forcibly disappeared for months and are subjected to harsh detention conditions.

Sources:

• "Press Report on the Status of Journalists" issued by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate's Freedoms Committee.
• Mueller, Lisa. "Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate: 240 Palestinian Journalists Killed in Gaza Since Start of War." AP News, 7 July 2024, archived online.