Israel setting stage for more killings of Palestinian journalists, says Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera Media Network has strongly condemned Israel’s publication of names and photos of Gaza-based journalists accused of links to Palestinian resistance groups, warning it could serve as pre-justification for their assassination.

The condemnation comes after Israel yesterday published what critics are calling a “hit list” of journalists, in what appears to be an escalation of its campaign against media coverage in Gaza, where dozens of journalists have already been killed by Occupation forces.

“These fabricated accusations [are a] blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide,” Al Jazeera said in a strongly-worded statement. The network remains one of the few international media outlets maintaining a presence in northern Gaza.

Read A blueprint for Israel’s eradication of Gaza

The Qatar-based broadcaster highlighted that these accusations follow its recent coverage exposing potential Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The network “categorically rejects” Israel’s portrayal of its journalists as terrorists, asserting that they are simply fulfilling their professional duties by documenting the humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s siege and bombardment and what the International Court of Justice has determined is a plausible genocide.

Al Jazeera pointed to a pattern of targeting its journalists, noting the killing of several of its staff members over the past two years, including Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and Samer Abu Daqqa, Hamza Al Dahdouh and Ismail Al Ghoul in the past year. The network has brought these cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC), where Israeli leaders are under consideration for possible arrest warrants.

According to press freedom organisations, Israeli forces have killed over 100 journalists and media workers in the past year alone. Al Jazeera fears the latest accusations could serve as a pretext for further assassination of journalists who remain in Gaza.

Read 177 journalists killed since beginning of war on Gaza

“Al Jazeera stands firm in its belief that journalism is not a crime, and we will continue to bring the truth to light, no matter what obstacles or threats we face,” the network stated, calling on the international community to act urgently to protect journalists’ lives and end Israeli crimes against media professionals.

Hossam Shabat, one of the journalists on the Israeli hit list, dismissed the Israeli claims on X. “Israel’s army has released fabricated dossiers framing us, the last remaining journalists in North Gaza reporting on Israel’s extermination and ethnic-cleansing campaign, as “terrorists”,” said Shabat.

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Israel’s army has released fabricated dossiers framing us, the last remaining journalists in North Gaza reporting on Israel’s extermination and ethnic-cleansing campaign, as “terrorists”.

This blatant and belligerent attempt to transform us, the last witnesses in the north, into…

— حسام شبات (@HossamShabat) October 23, 2024

“This blatant and belligerent attempt to transform us, the last witnesses in the north, into killable targets is an assassination threat and obvious attempt to pre-emptively justify our murder,” Shabat added.