Two weeks after targeting six journalists and photographers who were martyred in a bombing of a tent near Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, the Israeli war machine has committed yet another crime against media professionals working in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, its artillery deliberately shelled Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, resulting in the killing of more than twenty Palestinians, five of whom were media professionals:
• Mariam Abu Daqa, journalist with several international media outlets, including Independent Arabia and the Associated Press.
• Mohamed Salama, photographer for Al Jazeera.
• Moaz Abu Taha, journalist with the American network NBC.
• Hossam Al-Masri, photographer for Reuters News Agency.
• Ahmad Abu Aziz, Palestinian journalist.
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The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) strongly condemns this heinous crime, which is yet another episode in the systematic targeting of journalists and photographers in Gaza and the other occupied Palestinian territories by the Zionist enemy. Since the start of the Israeli aggression 22 months ago, the number of martyred media professionals has risen to 246, a figure unprecedented in a century of wars and global conflicts. This reveals the scale of Israeli crimes against the media and its blatant disregard for international conventions and laws related to the protection of journalists, especially in conflict and war zones.
ASBU once again calls on all press unions, media organizations, human rights and legal bodies worldwide to explicitly condemn this recurring crime, and to take immediate action by all possible means to put an end to these Israeli violations and attacks on journalists, aimed at silencing them and preventing them from reporting the truth about the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.
ASBU salutes the media professionals working in Gaza and praises their unprecedented courage in continuing to report the truth despite restrictions and targeting, documenting the crimes of the occupation so that perpetrators may be prosecuted before the competent international bodies.
Meanwhile, ASBU continues to implement its exceptional coverage plan of events in Gaza through contracting special correspondents in the Strip, as well as in cooperation and coordination with the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. The produced material and coverage are broadcast to all Arab radio and television bodies via ASBU’s news exchange system, and also shared with member organizations of other regional broadcasting unions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.