On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) calls on the Australian Government to urgently take action to hold Israel accountable for its deliberate and systematic targeting of journalists in Palestine and Lebanon.
Israel’s escalating violence against the press, which seeks to suppress independent reporting and obscure the truth of this rogue state’s war crimes, must end immediately.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 129 Palestinian journalists and two Lebanese journalists, and injured 41, arrested 71, and threatened many others. Israel has also threatened and targeted the families of journalists. This represents the deadliest period for journalists since the CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
Israel has long targeted journalists to silence coverage of its violence, war crimes and international law violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Its targeting of the media is systemic and entrenched in legislation.
This year alone, the Israeli Knesset passed a law allowing the shutdown of foreign media outlets, before banning Al Jazeera from operating. Most recently, Israel falsely accused six Al Jazeera journalists of being Hamas operatives, thereby placing targets on their backs, and further creating a climate of fear in this blatant attempt at limiting critical reporting.
Israel’s refusal to allow foreign journalists into Gaza further exacerbates the situation, obstructing global efforts to document and expose Israel’s ongoing genocide, apartheid, and illegal occupation of Palestine.
The UN and UN experts have condemned Israel’s widespread killing, injury, and detention of journalists in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, calling it a blatant violation of international law.
The Australian Government must:
- Publicly condemn Israel’s targeting of journalists in Palestine and Lebanon.
- Use its international influence to hold Israel accountable for obstructing reporting and suppressing the truth.
- Advocate for unrestricted access for journalists to Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
APAN stands in solidarity with journalists around the world who risk their lives to expose the truth. The protection of journalists is vital to ensuring accountability and amplifying the voices of the oppressed, allowing their stories to be heard and the truth to emerge. Australia must act to end Israel’s impunity.