STATEMENT: The Right2Know Campaign condemns the targeted silencing of journalists in Gaza
Issued by the Right2Know Campaign, 08 August 2014
The Right2Know Campaign joins those in mourning the tragic and entirely avoidable loss of lives in the on-going hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Further, the Right2Know Campaign condemns the targeted silencing of journalists and media workers in Gaza. According to the United Nations OCHA report on 7 August 2014, since the start of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza strip in July 2014, at least 1869 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 1380 civilians, 423 of whom were children. 64 Israeli soldiers and 3 Israeli civilians were killed. An estimated 490,000 people have been internally displaced and 65,000 people who have had their homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair. 373,000 children are in need of psycho-social support.
The Right2Know Campaign condemns the killing of journalists and media workers by Israeli security forces in Gaza. Over the past 4 weeks there has been a disturbing escalation in the attacks on those reporting in the region. According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 13 Palestinian media workers and journalists have also been killed in Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting.
On Monday 4 August, Hamad Khaled Maqqat, 24, the editing director of the SAJA Online news website was killed in his house in the morning by an Israeli bombardment. On July 21 Khaled Hamed of the Ray News Agency was shot dead while covering Israeli military operations while wearing a vest clearly marking him as Press. A day later the Israel Defence Force (IDF) fired on the headquarters of Al-Jazeera in Gaza; this came after pejorative remarks made by Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, demonizing the network. Journalist Rami Rayan was killed on July 30 while covering an Israeli bombing of an ambulance and of civilians in the Shujaiyeh market, notwithstanding wearing a helmet and a vest marked “Press”. Photojournalist Mohammed Aldeiri, of the Palestinian Media Network, was killed in the same attack.
According to the Palestinian Information Ministry, the Israeli army had carried out 72 attacks on journalists in the Gaza Strip, most of which occurred in the last week of the military operation. 13 journalists have been killed, 16 more have been wounded, two vehicles marked Press and TV were targeted, 16 homes of journalists and 15 media offices were destroyed. As civilians in a war zone, journalists are afforded certain protections under the 3rd Geneva Convention and international law which make it illegal for security forces to directly attack media outlets and media workers “unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities”. The act of reporting on violent conflict and issues of public interest does not constitute taking part in such hostilities. Furthermore, directly attacking a civilian may constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Accurate, impartial media reports conveyed from the conflict zone serve a fundamental public interest; journalists play a vital role in providing access to accurate information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
R2K echoes the demand from other international organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists, that Israel avoid targeting known media outlet locations. R2K also calls on the Israeli government to respect its responsibilities and obligations under international law with regards to the protection of journalists. Tselem reported that the state radio network had refused to broadcast a public service announcement in which the names of Palestinian children killed in the Gaza offensive were read out loud. This refusal amounts to a silencing of public debate in Israeli society about the terrible civilian death toll. NBC journalist, Ayman Moheydin, who covered the story of four children playing soccer on Gaza beach who were killed in a targeted Israeli missile strike, was forced by the network to return to Washington.
The right to publish, assemble, speak and think are intricately linked and are central to democracy. R2K condemns the attempts to restrict freedom of journalists to publish and publicise what is happening on the ground in Israel and Palestine. R2K calls on all sides in the conflict to respect the rights and freedoms of all journalists and media workers and to strictly abide by the applicable norms of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The attacks on and silencing of the media are but one breach of international humanitarian and international human rights law. R2K condemns these breaches and calls for an immediate cessation of airstrikes and attacks targeting the media. R2K further calls for an immediate, permanent cessation of hostilities and the restoration of the dignity to the lives of the people of Gaza.
We endorse tomorrow’s solidarity event planned to take place at 11am outside the City Hall in Cape Town. We call on our members to join in this event calling for the South government to act against the violations of international law committed against innocent civilians, including journalists, in Gaza.
—ENDS—
For comment:
Ghalib Galant, R2K Western Cape Coordinator: 084 959 1912
Vainola Makan, R2K Western Cape Organiser: 079 648 1725
Siviwe Mdoda, R2K National Organiser: 082 368 5096
Mark Weinberg, R2K National Coordinator: 084 993 059
