Date: 3 May 2024
Press Release
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day
The International Commission “Hashd” Calls on the International Community to Protect Palestinian Journalists and Hold Israeli Officials Accountable for Targeting Them
Today, May 3rd, marks World Press Freedom Day, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993. Since then, it has been celebrated worldwide to remind governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom, to assess the state of press freedom globally, and to defend the media from attacks on their independence.
This occasion comes at a time when the occupying forces are committing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The intensity of violations against journalists and media workers is escalating. Since October 7th, The International Commission “Hashd” has documented various forms of violations, including direct targeting resulting in killing or injury, confiscation and destruction of their equipment, arbitrary arrests, and the destruction of media centers. This is all aimed at preventing them from conveying the truth and covering ongoing Israeli crimes against civilians. Israeli forces have deliberately targeted journalists despite their clear identification as press members, with visible press badges on their vests, helmets, vehicles, and equipment, violating the most basic principles of international humanitarian law and human rights treaties.
According to the monitoring and documentation carried out by Hashd, (146) journalists and media workers have been killed, including (16) females, and hundreds have been injured to varying degrees. (15) journalists have been arbitrarily detained, raising the number of imprisoned journalists to 50 in Israeli jails. (259) media facilities have been destroyed, (100) of which were completely demolished.
The International Commission for Palestinian Rights “Hashd” celebrates journalists worldwide, especially Palestinians, on their special day. It emphasizes that the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of journalists constitutes a war crime and part of the genocide, a serious violation of human rights and the principles of international humanitarian law, especially those related to condemning deliberate attacks against journalists and media workers during armed conflicts. Hashd condemns the ongoing security assaults and social media violations against press freedom and expression, within the framework of restrictions on Palestinian content.
- The International Commission “Hashd”: Calls for urgent action by the international community to halt the ongoing aggression against Palestinian civilians, stop violations of international human rights law and the principles of international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territories, end the genocide committed by Israeli forces, end the famine and inhumane conditions endured by Palestinians in Gaza, stop forced displacement, and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people due to ongoing Israeli occupation.
- The International Commission “Hashd”: Calls on the international community to protect journalists and media institutions in Palestinian territories, hold perpetrators of crimes and violations against them accountable, ensure respect for media freedoms and freedom of opinion and expression, and stop the policy of double standards by some biased media institutions and social media platforms towards Palestinian content.
- The International Commission “Hashd”: Calls on the International Federation of Journalists, all Arab and international journalistic and media institutions and unions, to act to protect journalists and come to Gaza, activate solidarity with Palestinian journalists to stop violations and crimes against them, support the prosecution of Israeli occupation leaders before international courts, enhance media freedoms in Palestine, and address the double standards of companies and social media platforms.
- The International Commission “Hashd”: Calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to expedite the investigation into Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinian journalists and hold accountable the soldiers and leaders responsible for committing crimes against journalists.
- The International Commission “Hashd”: Calls on the State of Palestine to present the crimes of the Israeli occupation before the International Criminal Court, and to convene a meeting of the high contracting parties to the Geneva Convention to discuss Israeli occupation crimes, provide international protection for journalists and Palestinians, and work to enhance freedom of opinion, expression, and journalistic work without any restrictions in line with national standards and the obligations of the State of Palestine under its accession to international treaties, including ensuring journalists’ immunity from any restrictions.
End
The International Commission to Support Palestinians Rights (Hashd)
