By Gulsen Topcu
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA): Calling on the international community to stop Israeli aggression, Palestinian journalists demanded protection against acts of violence by Israeli forces.
Geneva-based Journalist Support Committee held a workshop in Gaza on Sunday on the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, which is observed on Nov. 2.
Participating Palestinian journalists emphasized that leaders of the occupying state should be held accountable for violence against Palestinian media workers and be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking at the workshop, the Journalist Support Committee’s coordinator in Palestine, Saleh Al-Masry, said Israel has committed more than 678 acts of violence against journalists since the beginning of 2021, including detention and removal from offices.
He underlined that the Israeli attacks on Gaza in May left Palestinian journalist Yousef Abu Hussein dead and the offices of 59 media outlets demolished.
On the other hand, Mohammed Abu Shawish, program director of Al-Quds Today TV Channel, urged all international institutions to provide international protection to journalists.
Wael al-Dahdouh, director of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau, said in his address that violence by Israeli forces hinders the work of journalists.
Noting that Palestinian journalists are working patiently to fulfill their duties despite difficult conditions and losing their shelters, Dahduh called on international institutions to put pressure on Israel to stop violence against journalists.
The director of Radio Alaqsa, Imad Zaqqout, also underlined that Israeli warplanes have bombarded their office 11 times since 2006.
Meanwhile, nine Palestinian journalists were detained and 15 others injured by Israeli forces in October, according to an Arab press NGO on Monday.
In a statement, the independent Journalist Support Committee said two journalists are still in Israeli custody, while two others were summoned for questioning.
According to the Geneva-based NGO, three journalists remain under house arrest, while two others were deported from their area for different periods of time.
The press NGO documented 12 cases in which Palestinian journalists were prevented from covering events by Israeli forces and settlers.
It noted that Israeli forces raided the houses of three journalists last months and destroyed their properties.
Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara
[Photo: European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova speaks during a press conference on safety of journalists and other media professionals at the EU Commission headquarter in Brussels, Belgium on September 16, 2021. Photographer: Dursun Aydemir/AA]
