Why Does Israel Continue to Kill Journalists?

CROSSFIREARABIA – Over 190 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, 2023 for daring to report and utter the truth.

The Government Media Office in Gaza states the number of journalists killed in Gaza, as reported on 30 November, 2024, is now 191 after the death of Mamdouh Quneita in the al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

Quneita was an editor for Al-Aqsa satellite channel, the media office said.

“The Government Media Office condemns in the strongest terms the targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation. We hold it fully responsible for committing this heinous crime.”

His name is trending on the social media for he was killed by an Israeli drone in the middle of Gaza City on Saturday afternoon in the courtyard of the Baptist Al Ahli hospital . According to the Anadolu Agency, as of Nov 27, 190 journalists have been killed in Gaza from Israeli attacks since Oct 7, 2023

One blogger writes: Shame on mainstream medias and all western journalists who remain silent in the face of Palestinian journalists being killed in unprecedented numbers by the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime. @MariamBarghouti, @ReporterSol

Another said Israeli forces shot and killed Mamdouh Quneita with a direct bullet to the head while he was performing his journalistic duties by Mamadani hospital. 191 journalists killed by Israel in just 13 months. This should be met with outrage and consequences.

Quneita was killed at the same hospital that Israel bombed October 17, 2023 killing hundreds in one go and setting the precedent for what later became a targeted attack on the Palestinian health infrastructure— including the rape and execution of doctors, nurses, and their own children.

One writes the killing of Palestinian journalists is more than WWI, WWII and Vietnam war combined yet the killing goes on the silence by the international community is maintained.

Yet the shocks continue by shallow statements from such western politicians.

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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“Hours after the massive fire in the Latrun area (between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv) was brought under control, the fire resumed in the area today.”

Maariv added that Israeli firefighting crews rushed to the scene in a bid to put out the burning flames.

But, the Israeli Fire Authority said in a post on the X platform that: “There are no dramatic events currently in the fire zones in Jerusalem.”

It added: “Several points of smoke rising are being monitored, and firefighting forces and aircraft continue to work to bring the fires under control.”

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The Times of Israel news website quoted President Isaac Herzog as saying, Thursday: “This fire is part of the climate crisis that must not be ignored. It requires us to prepare for serious and significant challenges and to make decisions, including appropriate legislation.”

The fires between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the largest in years, have forced the evacuation of 10 towns and settlements and have spread due to high temperatures and strong winds in the forested area as reported in Anadolu.

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Fires Rage in Israel

Fires are raging in Israel. Flames have started in the West Jerusalem hills and are feared to be creeping into northern and mass Israel with around 119 fire crews, 10 firefighting planes, and a helicopter deployed to attempt to extinguish the blaze according to The Jerusalem Post.

Israel has asked for international help especially from countries like Italy, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Bulgaria to attempt to put down the raging fires that are spreading because of high winds. Later reports, and with the inability to contain the fires, Israel called for more help from England, France, Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia, and Azerbaijan.

The wild fires that started, Wednesday, are trending on the social media with images and videos of what are seen as apocalyptic scenes never seen before in Israel. The blazes, starting from the hills of western Jerusalem have spread to the areas of Tel Aviv in the north with up to eight Israeli municipalities affected with one blogger simply saying “Israel is burning.”

Reports show that people on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway abandoning their cars and running across the wilderness, anywhere, away from the raging fires consuming forests and natural habitats. Reports also suggest that 10,000 Israeli have been evacuated by over-worked Israeli firefighters who fear the battle will be long.

The highway as well as trains between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have since been closed because of the consuming danger.

As soon as they started, Israeli government officials quickly declared a national state of emergency as raging fires spread to settlements and military bases near Jerusalem with soldiers caught in the blazes with reports that blazes raged in 29 locations such as Nataf, Eshtaol, Ramat Raziel, Giv’at Ye’arim, and Kisalon.

The fires from Jerusalem have also moved south and west due to the raging winds and weather conditions with the Israeli army being deployed to assist firefighting teams as the fires latched on to cars and other vehicles. New blazes have been reported to as far away as in Ashkelon, Ashdod and its port and bordering to the so-called Gaza envelope the territory that houses Jewish settlements and military basis.

The speed winds in Israel are expected to increase dramatically in the coming hours and days with Israeli hospitals recording 12 injuries so far due to smoke inhalation and burns. For the first time in 77 years, Israeli local councils have canceled so-called Independence Day celebrations that is when Israel was created in 1948 on Palestinians lands.

Nobody really knows how the fires have started while Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rushed to accuse local Palestinians of arson but this is hearsay.

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