On World Press Freedom Day ICSPR Gaza Journalists Are Paying the Price of Truth with Their Blood

Reference Number: 49/2025
Date: May 2, 2025
Original Language: Arabic

Press Release
On World Press Freedom Day
ICSPR: Gaza Journalists Are Paying the Price of Truth with Their Blood

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) joins the international community in commemorating World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on May 3rd, as declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in remembrance of the historic Windhoek Declaration issued on May 3, 1991, during a gathering of African journalists.

The day serves as a reminder to governments of their obligations to respect press freedom and ensure a safe and independent environment for journalistic work. The 2025 commemoration focuses on the theme: “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom, Information Flow, and Media Independence.”

The commemoration comes amidst a continued Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip — the deadliest in the history of modern journalism — where the price of freedom of expression is being paid in blood. Since October 7, 2023, through the end of April 2025, 212 journalists, including at least 27 women, have been killed, and 409 others injured, marking the highest toll worldwide since records began of journalist killings. The available data confirms that the systematic targeting aims to silence free voices and prevent journalists from fulfilling their duty to expose genocide crimes against civilians.

The Israeli occupation continues to target journalists and their families. Approximately 28 families of journalists have been killed, more than 44 homes destroyed, in addition to the destruction of dozens of media institutions. Preliminary losses in the media sector are estimated at over $400 million.

In the West Bank, journalists are subjected to a systematic campaign of repression and harassment. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate recorded 343 violations during the first quarter of 2025, including physical and verbal assaults, detentions, threats, equipment confiscation, and bans on covering events, particularly in Jerusalem and Jenin. Additionally, 16 cases of equipment destruction and confiscation were documented.

Israeli authorities continue to detain 49 journalists since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, including 19 under administrative detention, the most recent being journalists Samer Khuwaira and Ibrahim Abu Safieh.

While ICSPR honors the memory of the martyrs of truth and values the unwavering commitment of journalists to their mission despite the dangers, it reminds the international community of its legal and moral responsibilities to end these violations. ICSPR expresses deep concern over Israel’s continued impunity, which encourages the perpetration of further crimes. It reaffirms that freedom of the press and expression is a fundamental right guaranteed under international law, especially Article (19) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article (19) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Accordingly, ICSPR records and demands the following:

1. ICSPR calls on international organizations concerned with journalist protection, particularly the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, to reassess their role in light of their failure to hold Israel accountable and deter its repeated attacks on Palestinian journalists.

2. ICSPR urges the international community to take effective measures to protect Palestinian journalists and media institutions, hold perpetrators of grave violations accountable, and end the policy of double standards adopted by some global media outlets and social media platforms regarding Palestinian content.

3. ICSPR calls on journalists and media professionals around the world to continue their professional mission and to enhance the visibility of the Palestinian cause in international media in a way that reflects the scale of the tragedy and suffering.

4. ICSPR urges the Palestinian Authority to intensify efforts to internationalize the file of violations against journalists and to work alongside the International Criminal Court to push for a serious investigation into these crimes, considering them war crimes under Article (8) of the Rome Statute.

End.