International Federation of Journalists Archives

Israeli Kills 202 Journalists in Gaza Genocide

CrossFireArabia
January 3, 2025

202 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

The last victim was journalist Omar al-Dirawi who was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting his family’s home in al-Zawaideh in central Gaza on Friday morning according to Quds News Network.

The office condemned Israel’s killings of journalists, calling on the international community and rights groups to condemn Israeli crimes and prosecute them in international courts.

“Bloody Year”

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has been considered the deadliest for journalists and media workers in the world in 30 years.

Critics accuse Israel – which banned foreign reporters from entering Gaza – of targeting journalists in the Palestinian territory to obscure the truth about its war crimes there.

“Deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime under international law. This attack must be independently investigated and the perpetrators must be held to account,” Programme Director at Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Carlos Martinez de la, said.

In a recent report, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) described 2024 as a “particularly bloody year.”

According to the IFJ’s annual report, as of December 10, 2024, 104 journalists have been killed worldwide since January 1, with more than half of them in Gaza.

Seventy-five percent of all reporters killed in the world in 2023 were killed between October 7 and the end of last year.

IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger described 2024 as “one of the worst years” for media professionals. He condemned the “massacre taking place in Palestine before the eyes of the entire world.”

In a separate report, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Palestine is the most “dangerous country for journalists, recording a higher death toll than any other country over the past five years.” The report covers data up to December 1.

News

Israeli Missiles Kill Syrian TV Anchor

CrossFireArabia
October 1, 2024

Israeli warplanes kill three people in an attack on Damascus, Monday night, it is being reported on news websites and trending on the social media.

One of those killed was Safa Ahmad who worked in the Syrian state television in a attack that hit the Mezzeh neighborhood in Damascus.

The International Federation of Journalists condemned the attack on the female journalist. It stated on its website that it joins with its affiliate, the Syrian Journalists’ Union (SJU) in condemning “the heinous killing, and reiterates that the perpetrators of the deadliest conflict for journalists must be tried before the International Criminal Court, as international law requires that journalists are considered civilians and combatants are obliged to ensure their safety.”

Syrian observers report that Syrian State media "Arab TV" (belonging to Assad Government) journalist Safaa Ahmed has been killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after a targeted strike against her car, after she completed her live report on Israeli bombings in Syria and… pic.twitter.com/FJLqkADYVy
— آبَوو مهـدِي (@publicInfo0) October 1, 2024

The Syrian capital was subjected to three missile strikes, Monday night, and the death of the anchor was subsequently reported by her employer, the Syrian State Television.

This war has been deadly for journalists. On 24 September Hadi Sayed and Kamel Karaki were killed in Lebanon whilst on 30 September Wafaa Al Udaini was killed in Gaza, making her journalist number 174 to be targeted and killed in the Strip.

News

Targeting Journalists, Israeli War Crimes

CrossFireArabia
August 15, 2024

Journalists covering Israel’s 10-month-old war on Gaza are dying at a far higher rate than that of any other profession. It suggests they are being deliberately targeted by the Israeli military, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Death rate among journalists in Gaza much higher than other professions: Reporters group https://t.co/pNpNxt8iXL
— Marwan Asmar (@Asmar1959) August 15, 2024

“The mortality rate among journalists is much, much higher than in other civilian professions. Indeed with more than 12% of Gazan journalists dead, it’s a mortality rate that would be unusually high for infantry soldiers,” Tim Dawson, deputy general secretary of the IFJ, told Anadolu.

On 10 August, two journalists – Tamim Ahmed Abu Muammer from Palestine Television and Abdullah Mahir al-Susi from Al-Aqsa Channel – were killed in Israeli attacks, adding to the rising toll of press casualties in Gaza’s bloody conflict.

Dawson said Israel’s actions violate both international humanitarian law and the laws of war.

Death rate among journalists in Gaza much higher than other professions: Reporters group https://t.co/2gKgM8xl7h #MEMO #Palestine
— Eye On Gaza (@Eye_On_Gaza) August 15, 2024

“Since the conflict started, over 100 journalists have lost their lives. My figures put it at about 120 but there are different ways of measuring, and some people put it significantly higher.”

He also highlighted Israel’s advanced surveillance and targeting systems, such as Lavender, Gospell, and Pegasus, which raise concerns about intentional targeting.

“We know that the Israeli (army) has very sophisticated software that can track people down, that can program drones to deliver death to a very particular address,” Dawson said.

Beyond the killings, Dawson criticized Israel’s media censorship in Gaza, calling it “an attempt to control the narrative.”

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, around 160 Palestinians journalists have been killed.

Nothing, https://t.co/l3fGuq5IWB justifies the targeting of journalists! pic.twitter.com/g8psbDjEyZ
— Euro-Med Monitor (@EuroMedHR) July 31, 2024

“They excluded foreign reporters from Gaza. Foreign reporters have petitioned again and again to be allowed in and have been refused. We know that the Israeli government has made life difficult for newspapers that take a slightly different view to their own about the ongoing conflict.”

He also said foreign journalists have been repeatedly denied entry, and platforms like Al Jazeera have been expelled from Israel.

Further, Dawson emphasized the need for unrestricted media access to Gaza and support for journalists working under dangerous conditions.

He noted the IFJ has filed complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging that Israel’s targeting of journalists may constitute war crimes.

Dawson stressed the importance of a thorough international investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

Since 7 October, 2023, Israel’s attacks on Gaza have claimed the lives of 168 journalists, including professionals from various nationalities.

Notable casualties include Anadolu Agency photojournalist Ali Jadallah, whose family was killed in an attack on his home, and freelance cameraman Muntasir al-Sawaf, who was killed in an airstrike.