'Israel' says it can't guarantee journalists' safety in Gaza
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"Israel" indirectly admits to indiscriminate bombing after stating it "can't guarantee the safety of journalists in Gaza."
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Mourners attend the funeral of fellow journalists Said al-Taweel and Mohammed Sobboh who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
In a statement sent to Reuters and Agence France Presse, the Israeli military said it can't guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip amid the aggressive and hysterical Israeli bombardment and siege in Gaza for almost three weeks.
We are "targeting all Hamas military activity throughout Gaza," the IOF claimed in a statement, additionally claiming that Hamas "deliberately put military operations in the vicinity of journalists and civilians," which was never proven.
The statement also stated that its high-intensity strikes on alleged Hamas targets could cause damage to surrounding buildings and that "Hamas rockets could also misfire and kill people inside Gaza." This statement is no doubt another Israeli attempt to lift the blame off of itself for targeting residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and so on.
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"Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee your employees' safety, and strongly urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety," the IOF letter concluded.
Reuters could not verify how many other news organizations operating in Gaza had received the same letter. In return, the news outlets expressed great concern about the safety of their journalists in Gaza. Describing the situation on the ground as dire, Reuters said in a statement in response to the Israeli letter that the IOF's "unwillingness to give assurances about the safety of our staff threatens their ability to deliver the news about this conflict without fear of being injured or killed."
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AFP Global News Director Phil Chetwynd said his news organization had received the same letter. "We are in an incredibly precarious position and it's important that the world understands that there is a large team of journalists working in extremely dangerous conditions," Chetwynd said.
On that note, the Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 27 journalists were killed since the war began, mostly in Gaza, but also in southern Lebanon. While "Israel" warns journalists of "possibly" being targetted, the records prove otherwise.
Only recently, Al Jazeera's journalist mourned the killing of his family after "Israel" intentionally targeted his home in Gaza.
In one strike, the Israeli occupation took the lives of Wael al-Dahdouh's wife, son, daughter, and grandson. Al-Dahdouh's residence in Nuseirat camp, a place the family had sought refuge in after being forcibly displaced under the indiscriminate Israeli bombing, was targeted by Israeli warplanes.
In another incident, Reuter's photographer, Issam Abdallah, was martyred by an Israeli strike on October 13, in the town of Aalma al-Saab, southern Lebanon.
Two other Reuters journalists were injured: Thaer al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh.
Several other journalists suffered critical injuries as a result of the Israeli strike, which directly targeted them. It is worth stressing that Issam and others were wearing Press gear allowing easy identification, as they covered the unfolding events on the Lebanese-Palestinian border.
These are just some of the journalists directly targeted by "Israel" during the aggression on Gaza.
Violating international law
Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered protected civilians and are prohibited from being directly targeted in attacks.
Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, relayed, "CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties," adding, "Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict. All parties must take steps to ensure their safety."
