‘Eradication’ Of Journalism In Palestine: Israel Targets Gaza’s Journalists

Photos: YouTube Screenshots Emboldened by a glaring lack of deterrence, the dire consequences of impunity have become starkly evident in recent weeks as Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza killed at least 64 Palestinian journalists and media workers there. “Since 7 October, the Palestinian territory has been subjected to a veritable eradication of journalism,” said Reporters Without Borders (RSF), highlighting the cases of targeted journalists. Fueling the impunity have been smear campaigns aimed at discrediting Palestinian journalists and legitimizing their killing. Israeli media and leading public figures helped bolster a narrative that likened journalists covering the war within Gaza to terrorists. Eight family members of photojournalist Yasser Qudih were killed when their house in southern Gaza was struck by four missiles, with Qudih surviving the attack. It came five days after he and other journalists were falsely accused of having prior knowledge of the 7 October attack, prompting death threats against him online. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on X: “These journalists were accomplices in crimes against humanity; their actions were contrary to professional ethics.” Danny Danon, a member of parliament, called for the “elimination” of photojournalists “who participated in covering the massacre”. An investigation by +972 Magazine and...