On Press Freedom Day.. Palestinian Journalists Between the Guillotine of Killing and the Absence of Prisons

While the world celebrates World Press Freedom Day, Palestinian journalists find themselves in a direct confrontation with the Israeli killing and persecution machine. The news carriers have turned into tragic stories to be told, after the occupation has inflicted upon them killing, imprisonment, and disappearance behind bars, in a clear attempt to obscure the truth and prevent the documentation of crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

The story of the imprisoned journalist Mohammed Abu Thabet stands out as a living witness to this suffering, as he languishes in occupation prisons, far from his family and five children. His family in the town of Beit Dajan, near Nablus, lives in a state of constant anxiety, amidst the occupation's prevention of visits and the قطع of communication with prisoners, making their news limited to what newly released prisoners convey.

Abu Thabet's mother describes her son's absence as a heavy burden and an irreplaceable void, especially with his children's continuous questions about him. She says that the occupation accused Mohammed of incitement and his journalistic work, asserting that the real goal is to silence anyone who documents violations in the field, a price paid by those who speak freely in Palestine.

For his part, Radwan Abu Thabet, Mohammed's father, believes that the arrest of journalists represents a blatant assault on freedom of expression and international laws that protect media work. He points out that his son was the 'dynamo' of the family and its support, and that his arrest comes within a bitter occupation reality that seeks to muzzle mouths and prevent the Palestinian narrative from reaching the world.

The situation of journalist Hazem Nasser, detained since the end of last July, is no different from his colleague Abu Thabet, as his two children and wife live the bitterness of loss and waiting. Despite the family's accustomedness to repeated arrests, this time seems the cruelest in light of reports of systematic torture and repression that prisoners are subjected to inside prisons.

Hazem Nasser's father speaks bitterly about his child who refuses to celebrate his birthday except in the presence of his father, wondering how to convince a small child of a bitter reality that kidnaps his father behind bars. He confirms that Hazem is still suffering from the effects of a serious injury from occupation bullets he sustained three years ago in Jenin, which increases the seriousness of his health condition.

The Nasser family directs sharp criticism at international and local journalistic institutions, accusing them of not caring enough about the issue of imprisoned journalists. Hazem's father believes that the global system that established a day for press freedom fails to protect Palestinian journalists, and does not even respect the most basic human rights in dealing with their issues.

In a moving symbolic scene, 'Imad', Hazem's son, released a bird he had kept in a cage and named it 'Baba', expressing his hope for his father's freedom. This childish cry encapsulates the tragedy of dozens of families waiting for their loved ones to return from the depths of prisons, where they face detention conditions lacking the most basic human necessities.

According to official data issued by the Palestinian Prisoners' Society and the Commission of Detainees' Affairs, the occupation has killed more than 260 male and female journalists since the start of the aggression on Gaza. Human rights organizations describe these targeting as a 'systematic mass killing crime' aimed at eliminating media personnel who convey the reality of what is happening on the ground.

Statistics indicate that the occupation authorities have detained more than 240 journalists since last October, 40 of whom remain in detention until now. Among the detainees, 20 journalists are under administrative detention, a system that allows the occupation to detain individuals without clear charges or a fair trial based on secret files.

In the Gaza Strip, journalistic work faces existential challenges, as 14 journalists from the Strip are still detained under mysterious circumstances. Reports also confirm the presence of two journalists in a state of enforced disappearance, as the occupation authorities refuse to disclose their whereabouts or fate, raising serious concerns for their lives.

Violations did not stop at arrest but extended to killing inside prisons, as happened with journalist Marwan Herzallah last March in Megiddo prison. Human rights sources confirm that Herzallah was martyred as a result of the slow killing policy and deprivation of necessary treatment, reflecting the extent of the dangers faced by imprisoned media professionals.

The occupation authorities impose 'house arrest' and prevention from working or moving on a number of other journalists, in an attempt to restrict their media activity. These measures aim to create an environment hostile to journalistic work in the Palestinian territories, and to impose strict military censorship on everything published from the field.

In conclusion, World Press Freedom Day remains for Palestinians a day to remind the world of its responsibilities to protect the word and the image. While international slogans calling for media freedom are raised, the Palestinian journalist continues to pay heavy prices with his blood and freedom to ensure that the truth reaches all corners of the earth.

If the world is silent today, tomorrow there will be no one to convey the truth.