The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory said that Israel has turned its horrific war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for 44 days, into killing Palestinian journalists by systematically targeting them and their workplaces, in an effort to impose a real and comprehensive media blackout on the entire Strip.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory documented the killing of 59 journalists as of today, Sunday, November 19, in addition to the injury of dozens, representing the largest bloody toll of journalist casualties during wars and conflicts in modern history.

The Observatory drew attention to the fact that the journalist victims are from almost all media groups working in the Gaza Strip, as they include a correspondent for the official Palestine TV, employees of the official Palestinian News Agency, and others working for local media outlets, international or civil institutions, or those who are active independently.

The escalation in targeting journalists was accompanied by public incitement against them by Israeli ministers and officials through the publication of reports that attempted to cast doubt on the integrity of some of them, by claiming that they had advance knowledge of the attack launched by Palestinian fighters on southern Israel on October 7, in unproven accusations that lack any logical evidence. .

The former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and representative of the ruling Likud Party, Danny Danon, had publicly called for the killing of all participants in the October 7 attack, adding photojournalists to the list.

Euro-Med highlighted that Israel deliberately did not leave any safe place for journalists in the Gaza Strip, and targeted them while they were working while wearing their own jackets in the field, and in press tents set up near hospitals to facilitate media coverage, or even if they were with their families in their homes that were destroyed above their heads.

In parallel, Israeli air and artillery attacks targeted at least 117 press headquarters, which were completely or partially destroyed, while the broadcasting system of the vast majority of the 24 radio stations in the Gaza Strip was disrupted as a result of Israel’s raids or because it prevented the entry of fuel into the Strip.

In addition, Israel intended to restrict satellite channels operating in the Palestinian territories due to their press coverage, such as stopping the work of the Al-Mayadeen Media Network in Palestine, and threatening the Al-Jazeera Network with the same fate.

Euro-Med said that it received identical testimonies from journalists expressing their fear that the media equipment they received from international bodies through Israel may include spying and location identification devices, which may have contributed to their targeting operations during the war.

Euro-Med confirmed that targeting journalists falls within war crimes and violates international law, as well as UN Security Council Resolutions 2222/2015 and 1738/2006, which condemn international attacks on journalists and media workers in situations of armed conflict.

Also, Article 79 of Additional Appendix (Protocol) I to the 1977 Geneva Conventions stressed the necessity of giving special protection to journalists who carry out their work in areas of armed conflict.

Euro-Med called for the opening of an independent international investigation into Israel’s crimes against journalists, especially given its track record of targeting them, whether in the West Bank or during repeated military operations on the Gaza Strip, and to end the reality of impunity that has led over the years to an increase in the frequency of targeting journalists.

Euro-Med reiterated its strong condemnation of the Israeli targeting and indiscriminate killing of journalists in conflict areas to prevent them from only doing their work and reporting news from their locations, calling for quick international measures to lead to holding those involved accountable, and putting an end to the systematic Israeli targeting of journalistic work in the Palestinian territories.