It is said that more than one journalist, especially Palestinian journalists, dies a day in Gaza, at times deliberately targeted by the Israeli war machine.
Apartheid Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine, the original sin, has to stop.
Evidence indicates that apartheid Israel’s Zionist military forces repeatedly use lethal power against Palestinians, including journalists, in violation of international law. There are explicit obligations in international law to protect journalists and humanitarian aid workers during conflicts.
The safety and protection of media representatives is essential as journalists report on lived realities in real time in order to maintain true accounts and stories, and to provide transparency and accountability.
The intentional and calculated killing of journalists, and as witnessed in Gaza, of their families, amounts to extrajudicial murder, a serious violation under the Geneva Convention.
Journalists enjoy a variety of shields as civilians in armed conflict and under international human rights law, hence, it is important that journalists are provided with effective protective measures in apartheid Israel’s brutality in Gaza and against the resistance movements.
The high number of journalists who have been killed in the course of their professional work and the unwarranted destruction of media outlets in Gaza needs to be investigated by the International Criminal Court.
* Mohamed Saeed, Pietermaritzburg.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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