Journalists eliminated from ground zero for reporting truth
In a conflict zone, reporters are never simple to deal with, especially if one of the opposing forces perceives them as allies in the information war.
Journalists covering the war in Gaza, are especially vulnerable because of the Israeli ground assault on the blockaded Gaza City, the catastrophic Israeli airstrikes, the disruption of communications, and the prolonged power shortages.
Journalists are also victims of occupational crimes. Every day, journalists face weariness, despair, frustration, terror, and anguish, which forces them to put boundaries on all they want to do. Everybody worries about their family. But how much longer?
A journalist in War-hit Palestine is inconsolable and suffering from the daily horrors. He can’t rebel to save his family because the occupation might make it impossible for them to move. While covering the violence, he might pass away at any moment.
A journalist is protected by special provisions in international law during armed conflicts. War Journalists fall into the nebulous category of “people who accompany the armed forces without actually being members thereof”. Since they do not belong to the armed forces, they are granted protection and the status of civilians.
Article 79 of Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions codifies a customary rule that guarantees journalists in conflict zones protection and treatment as civilians, provided that they remain neutral in hostilities.
On May 27, 2015, the UN Security Council reaffirmed its resolve to uphold and protect journalists from all forms of violence when it adopted Resolution 2222, which is an extension of and complements Resolution 1738, which was adopted in 2006.
But the Israeli state makes a mockery of these Conventions and Articles, so far 31 Journalists lost their lives in the ongoing conflict 26 Palestinians, 04 Israelis and 01 from Lebanon.
Abdulhadi Habib – Who worked for Al-Manara News Agency and HQ News Agency
Ahmed Shehab – A journalist for Sowt Al-Asra Radio (Radio Voice of the Prisoners), Shehab, along with his wife and three children, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, Palestinian press freedom group MADA, and the London-based news website The New Arab.
Assaad Shamlakh– A freelance journalist, was killed along with nine members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Sheikh Ijlin, a neighbourhood in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Beirut-based advocacy group The Legal Agenda and BBC Arabic.
Ayelet Arnin – A 22-year-old news editor with the Israel Broadcasting Corporation Kan
Ahmed Abu Mhadi – A journalist works for Al-Aqsa TV
Duaa Sharaf– A Host for Radio Al-Aqsa, was killed with her child in an airstrike on her home in the Yarmouk neighbourhood in Gaza, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor
Husam Mubarak – A journalist who works for the Al Aqsa Radio
Hisham Alnwajha- A journalist with the Khabar news agency
Issam Bhar – A journalist who works for Al-Aqsa TV
Issam Abdallah – A Beirut-based videographer for the Reuters news agency
Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi – A photographer for Ain Media
Khalil Abu Aathra–A videographer for Al-Aqsa TV
Mohammed Sobh – A photographer from the Khabar news agency
Mohammad Al-Salhi – A photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency
Mohammad Jarghoun – A journalist with Smart Media
Mohammed Imad Labad – A journalist for the Al Resalah news website
Mohammad Balousha – A journalist and the administrative and financial manager of the local media channel “Palestine Today”
Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar – A freelance photojournalist
Mohammed Ali – A journalist from Al-Shabab Radio (Youth Radio)
Nazmi Al-Nadim – A deputy director of finance and administration for Palestine TV
Roshdi Sarraj – A journalist and co-founder of Ain Media
Roee Idan – A photographer for the Israeli newspaper Ynet
Sameeh Al-Nady – A journalist and director for Al-Aqsa TV
Shai Regev – Served as an editor for TMI, the gossip and entertainment news section of the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Maariv
Salam Mema – A freelance journalist and also held the position of head of the Women Journalists Committee at the Palestinian Media Assembly, an organization committed to advancing media work for Palestinian journalists
Salma Mkhaimer – A freelance journalist, was killed alongside her child in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr.
Saeed al-Taweel – Editor-in-chief of the Al-Khamsa News website
Saed Al-Halabi – A journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV
Yousef Maher Dawas – A contributing writer for Palestine Chronicle and a writer for We Are Not Numbers (WANN)
Yasser Abu Namous – Works for Al-Sahel media organization
Yaniv Zohar – Zohar, an Israeli photographer working for the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom
As the war goes on, the Israeli forces bombard helpless Gazans including children, women, and journalists with impunity.
How and who will stop this bloody war, nobody knows.
But, according to George Santayana, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
The writer is a media researcher and can be reached at [email protected]