Ref: 114/2014
Date: 03 August 2014
Time: 10:40 GMT
PCHR strongly condemns the escalating Israeli crimes against journalists covering the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip; the attacks have resulted in killing 6 journalists while on duty, and media offices have been targeted. PCHR stresses that these crimes are part of the efforts to silence the press and prevent journalists from reporting on the Israeli crimes against civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially as journalists are protected in times of war like civilians according to the international humanitarian law.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR and its field follow-up, killings and other violations of the right to safety and security of person that have been committed by Israeli forces against journalists during the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip were as follows:
• On 01 August 2014, Abdullah Nasser Fahajan (21), a photojournalist at al-Aqsa media network, sustained serious wounds in the head, when an Israeli warplane fired a missile at him while he was on duty covering the displacement of Palestinian civilians in al-Junaina neighborhood in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Fahajanwas taken immediately to Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital in the city to receive the necessary medical treatment and was then transferred to the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis for the seriousness of his injury. However, doctors’ efforts failed to save his life and he was pronounced dead.
• On 30 July 2014, 2 journalists were instantly killed and a third one died of his wounds later while covering an Israeli crime in al-Shuja’iya market in the east of Gaza City. At approximately 17:00, during a humanitarian truce, Israeli forces fired a number of missiles at the market when dozens of civilians were there for shopping. Medical staff, civil defense and a number of journalists headed to the targeted area, but Israeli forces targeted the market for the second time. As a result, about 30 civilians were immediately killed, including 2 journalists, a paramedic and a fireman, and dozens of others were wounded, including 3 journalists one of whom was pronounced dead later. The journalists who were killed are:
In the same attack, Hamed al-Shobaki, a photojournalist at al-Manarah media production agency, sustained wounds in the legs, and Mahmoud al-Qassas, a reporter of al-Istiqlal weekly newspaper, sustained shrapnel wounds to the head. They were taken to ShifaHospital to receive the necessary medical treatment in Gaza City.
• On 23 July 2014, the Israeli artillery shelled a group of journalists covering the recovery of civilians’ corpses in al-Shuja’iyaneighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result, Saber Ibrahim Nour al-Deen, a photojournalist at the German news agency, was wounded. He was taken to ShifaHospital to receive the necessary medical treatment. On the same day, Anas Abu M’aileq, a photojournalist at Anatolia news agency, was wounded while he was on duty in the vicinity of al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah that was attacked by the Israeli forces.
• On 22 July 2014, SakherMedhat Abu al-‘Oun, a journalist at France Press news agency, sustained wounds in the face while he was on duty in the vicinity of ShifaHospital in Gaza City due to the Israeli attack on the area. On the same day also, Sami Thabet, a photojournalist at Palestine Today space channel, was wounded while he was on duty due to the Israeli attack on al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
• It should be noted that journalist Khaled Riyadh Hamad working for Continue news agency was killed on 20 July while he was covering the Israeli crimes in al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. In addition, Hamed Abdullah Mohammed Shehab, a driver at Media 24 news agency, was killed when the agency’s vehicle was attacked on 09 July.
Concerning Israeli attacks targeting media institutions, they were as follows:
• On 31 July 2014, the office of So’oud Abu Ramadan, a journalist at the German news agency, was completely destroyed as it was directly targeted by a missile from a warplane. It should be noted that the office is located on the 8th floor of al-Basha building, west of Gaza City.
• On 30 July 2014, Media Training Centre that is located on the 12th floor of al-Basha building and managed by journalist Na’im al-Nawatiwas directly attacked by Israeli warplanes. As a result, it sustained severe material damage. Around the same time, the office of Starcom advertising company on the 13th floor of the same building was attacked as well, due to which the office that belongs to Ayman Yassin sustained serious material damage.
• At approximately 02:50 on 29 July 2014, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at the office of al-Aqsa space channel near al-Quds Open University in al-Nasser neighborhood, north of Gaza City. As a result, the officewas completely destroyed. Around the same time, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at the office of al-Aqsa radio in the same neighborhood and destroyed it as well. Half an hour later, an Israeli warplane fired a third missile at another office of the radio on the 5th floor of al-Shorouq building in al-Remal neighborhood. As a result, it was destroyed. Five minutes later, another office of al-Aqsa space channel on the 15th floor of the same building was attacked and destroyed.
• On 23 July, al-Jazeera space channel on the last floor of al-Jala’ building, west of Gaza City, was heavily fired at by Israeli forces while the channel staff was inside. The office sustained material damage, but no casualties were reported.
PCHR strongly condemns these crimes and:
Table: Media personnel Killed by Israeli forces while on Duty
September 2000 – August 2014
