Gaza journalists demand protection on World Press Freedom Day
GAZA CITY
Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip are enduring one of the darkest chapters in media history as the world observes World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
In the besieged enclave, cameras have become targets and words can cost lives as Israel’s genocidal war rages on.
What once was a mission to report the truth has become a daily risk of death. Since Oct. 7, 2023, at least 212 Palestinian journalists have been killed -- most while reporting in the field or their homes during airstrikes -- according to official and local statistics.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights recently confirmed it is the highest number of journalist deaths recorded globally in a single conflict since 1992.
Journalists describe the profession not only as being endangered but as “burned alive on air.”
Cry for justice
Sami Shahadeh, a journalist who lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike and is barred from leaving Gaza for medical treatment, described the media landscape as a war zone.
“Carrying a camera is now a cause for fear,” he told Anadolu. “There’s a deliberate campaign of distortion and targeting against Palestinian journalists. This isn’t random -- it’s systemic.”
Shahadeh, like many of his peers, believes international institutions have failed them.
“We deserve the right to carry our cameras, to share the truth,” he said. “It’s time for international courts to enforce the laws meant to protect us.”
Ramzi Mahmoud, another journalist collaborating with Anadolu, survived the conflict but lost 19 family members, including his wife, daughter, mother and sisters, when Israeli bombs destroyed his home.
“I still haven’t been able to recover their bodies,” he said. “On World Press Freedom Day, there is nothing to celebrate. The genocide continues. The silence of international institutions is deafening.”
Not collateral, a deliberate target
For journalist Mutia Mosbah, the targeting of media workers is part of a broader strategy to silence the Palestinian narrative.
“This is not a coincidence. This is a calculated effort to eliminate the press,” he said. “Despite this, we remain determined to continue our mission.”
At a gathering point for journalists in Gaza City, young reporter Mohammed Jarbouh held a microphone and echoed the sentiment: “We lost reporters and cameramen in every province but we are here to carry on their message. Stop the war. Let us tell the story.”
Gaza: World’s deadliest place for journalists
Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said Gaza has become “one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.”
He told Anadolu that his agency believes Israel is “deliberately killing journalists” in Gaza to suppress reporting from the ground.
The Gaza Government Media Office reported that at least 409 media workers have been injured, 48 arrested and 21 influential social media journalists killed. It said 28 journalist families have been wiped out entirely and 44 homes belonging to media professionals have been damaged or destroyed.
Estimated losses to Gaza’s media sector have reached $400 million, including the destruction of news agencies, broadcast equipment and training centers.
“These are not random incidents,” said Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the media office. “This is a calculated campaign to dismantle the media sector and extinguish voices documenting the genocide.”
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and other rights organizations said the attacks constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Plea for protection
Journalists in Gaza are urging the international community for basic protection: legal safeguards, secure communication tools, protective equipment and above all, the right to live and report freely.
As 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza endure hunger, thirst, and relentless violence, its journalists continue to brave the frontline not just to tell the world what is happening but also to prove they are still here, resisting with cameras and words.
“It’s time the world hears our cry,” said Mahmoud. “Protect the storytellers, because without them there will be no story left to tell.”
Arab countries
Arab countries, organizations and media personalities demanded urgent protection of journalists in Gaza because of Israel’s military campaign, which has been described by many as a genocide.
The Jordanian Journalists Syndicate paid tribute to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories, highlighting that Israel’s war has relentlessly targeted civilians and infrastructure for more than 19 months.
In Kuwait, the Al-Jarida newspaper’s editor-in-chief Nasser Al-Otaibi said the day serves as a reminder of the courage shown by journalists reporting from conflict zones, “foremost among them Gaza, which is being slaughtered from vein to vein.”
From an institutional perspective, Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, assistant secretary-general of the Arab League and head of its media and communication sector, noted that this year’s commemoration comes under “extraordinary circumstances” due to continued Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Palestinian organizations described this period as “the bloodiest in Palestinian media history,” with not only the deaths but with around 180 journalists detained or arrested since the war began. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights previously confirmed that Gaza has recorded the highest journalist death toll globally since media death statistics began in 1992.
The Federation of Arab Journalists expressed “full solidarity” with Palestinian journalists and condemned the Israeli military’s “massacres against media workers,” calling for those responsible to be tried before the International Court of Justice.
In Syria, the Journalists’ Union emphasized the importance of “a free and independent media space.”
Tunisia’s National Union of Journalists published its annual press freedom report that highlighted a serious crisis in civil liberties and noted the continued imprisonment of four journalists.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani marked the day by meeting families of journalists killed in Iraq.
Oman’s Ministry of Information reaffirmed its commitment to journalist safety and freedom of expression.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa also reaffirmed support for media freedom.
The Ministry of Communication in Algeria held a commemoration under the patronage of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, while in the United Arab Emirates, the Journalists Association hosted a “Media Between Freedom and Responsibility,” panel to discuss current challenges and ethical obligations of the profession.
Libyan organizations urged authorities to engage in dialogue with civil society and the media to develop comprehensive reforms that reflect international human rights commitments.
And the Gulf Federation of Journalists reiterated its full support for freedom of expression and the independence of journalistic work in the region.
