'Israel' deliberately targets Gaza journalists to hide crimes: Report

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
21 Aug 2025 23:27
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"Israel" is accused of silencing Gaza war crimes by targeting journalists, as CPJ confirms 192 killed, and international silence raises double standards.

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Palestinians pray over the bodies of journalists, including correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qreiqeh, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral outside Gaza City's Shifa hospital, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP)

In an opinion piece for The New York Times, columnist Lydia Polgreen argued that "Israel" is deliberately targeting journalists in Gaza to suppress documentation of its military campaign. Polgreen highlighted the killing of journalist Anas al-Sharif in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month as evidence of a systematic assault on press freedom.

The Israeli military claimed, without presenting verifiable evidence, that al-Sharif was a Hamas commander operating under the guise of a journalist. Rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, condemned the strike as a war crime. At least 192 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began, an unprecedented toll compared to other conflicts.

Polgreen noted that "Israel" has barred international reporters from entering Gaza, leaving local journalists as the primary witnesses to mass displacement and destruction. He argued that by branding them as militants, "Israel" seeks to justify their elimination while controlling the narrative of the war.

The columnist also criticized the muted international response, contrasting it with the outcry over attacks on journalists in other countries. He warned that if the killings continue unchecked, there may soon be no one left to bear witness to Gaza’s devastation.

Unprecedented toll on journalists in Gaza

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 192 journalists have been killed since the beginning of "Israel’s" war on Gaza, a toll described as unprecedented compared to other conflict zones. Other reports estimate that at least 270 have been killed since October 2023.

Despite international law classifying journalists as civilians, "Israel" treats them as “parties to the conflict,” operating under the narrative that “every Gazan is Hamas.”

Muted global reaction as bias trumps intl. law

Observers point out that the international community’s reaction to the killing of Palestinian journalists has been noticeably muted compared to global outrage over similar incidents, such as the murder of Jamal Khashoggi or attacks on journalists in Russia, where official justifications were widely rejected.

This double standard highlights the differing treatment between local Palestinian reporters and their international counterparts. While foreign correspondents are often seen as neutral observers, Palestinian journalists are accused of bias simply for living through the occupation and documenting its crimes.

Essential witnesses despite risks

Palestinian journalists, however, possess vital knowledge of the terrain and key connections that have enriched global coverage of Gaza. Their indispensable role has made them prime targets of Israeli strikes.

Experts argue that war correspondents resemble soldiers in their willingness to stay on the battlefield, bearing witness to atrocities and using their tools to defend truth and the dignity of their people.

Yet "Israel" attempts to depict them as combatants, thereby justifying their elimination, part of a broader campaign to wage war not only against human lives but also against memory and collective truth.