Israeli occupation forces are systematically targeting journalists in an effort “to obscure the truth of its crimes and stop it from being delivered to the world”, Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) said in a statement wednesday.
The systematic targeting of journalists and their families in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, has resulted “in the killing of the largest number of journalists in modern history,” the rights group added.
“It mainly targets journalists with the aim of being able to complete the extermination of the Palestinians without its horrific practices being documented.”
Some 122 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli occupation forces since 7 October, AOHR UK said. This exceeds the number of journalists killed in World War II (1939-1945) who numbered 69, the 63 journalists killed during 20 years in the Vietnam War (1955-1975), or the 17 journalists who were killed during the Korean War (1950-1953).
“Israel’s targeting of journalists in the recent period was not limited to the Gaza Strip only, but also included all Palestinian journalists in the West Bank or even in southern Lebanon,” AOHR explained.
These journalists have been targeted while carrying out their work, “wearing helmets, clothing, and clear badges that identify them.” Many received “clear threats” from occupation forces before they were killed, AOHR said.
In addition to this, media institutions have also been hit by the occupation’s air strikes in Gaza, with Al-Ayyam newspaper, Gaza Radio, the Shehab News Agency, the Palestinian Maan news agency, the French Agency office, Al-Arabi TV, among those who have lost their premises as a result.
Source: Middle East Monitor
