DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGERS!

By Tina Bexson

(2025 updates on the fate of Palestinian journalists are provided at the end of the article)

Journalists are under attack and press freedom is under siege in a way that has never happened before – from the record numbers of Palestinian journalists and media workers targeted and injured or killed by Israel in Gaza, to the misuse of terror and surveillance laws in the UK to arrest journalists, writers, and academics expressing support for Palestinians.

How is this happening when journalists, along with civilians, are protected under international law? Why hasn’t Israel been held to account yet? Why after 16 months haven’t any international journalists been permitted to report from the Gaza strip? And moreover, what is the significance of the silent and deadly role played by the western mainstream media?

Gaza is by far the most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist, recording a death toll higher than anywhere else during the past five decades.  What’s more, Israel is responsible for at least two-thirds of all journalists killed throughout the world this year.

Reports from several reputable international organisations – including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and The Palestinian Union of Journalists (PUJ) – have all confirmed the relentless slaughter of Palestinian journalists. Indeed, this is clearly the deadliest period since the CPJ began collecting data back in 1992. It estimates that the current death toll of Gazan journalists and media workers to be at least 196, with approximately 400 injured.

Israel’s launching of actual targeted attacks on journalists is increasing too. This is simply because their work is focused on discovering and reporting the horrendous war crimes it commits in Gaza. It then goes on to justify these attacks using its propaganda machine to spew blatant lies. Evidence of targeted attacks has been provided by a number of organisations, from Forensic Architecture to the CPJ. Yet Israel continues to act with impunity.

Recent cases of those killed include Ayman Al Gedi, a journalist and camera operator for Al-Youm was killed along with 4 of his colleagues in their clearly marked press vehicle which was targeted outside Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.  Saed Abu Nabhan, a cameraman for Anadolu Agency, was targeted by an Israeli long-range rifle just a week ago.  Further examples of those directly targeted include the six Al Jazeera journalists at the Nuseirat refugee camp in northern Gaza. One of them, Hossam Shabat managed to film him and his colleagues fleeing Israeli fire which he says was directly targeted at them. The Israeli military accused them of being fighters in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad when in reality this small group of journalists had simply been doing their job, along with diligently providing important documentation of what the United Nations human rights chief said are possible “crimes against humanity.” Hossam Shabat, one of those journalists accused, reiterated that Israel is trying to silence anyone trying to tell the truth in Gaza. Then at the end of November last year, Shabat was badly injured while reporting on a house hit by an Israeli attack in Gaza city. (*See update at the end of the article: Shabat was killed by the IDF on 24th March 2025).

In December last year Al Jazeera cameraman, Ahmed al-Louh was killed by an airstrike targeting a Civil Defence post at Gaza’s Nuseirat camp where he was filming the rescue of a family severely injured in an earlier bombing. Five emergency workers were also killed. Also in December, Israeli forces killed Mohammed Balosha, journalist for A Mashhad channel who had previously broke the story about decomposing premature babies at Al-Nasry Hospital in Gaza in November 2023.

Killings that the CPJ has so far 100 percent determined to be targeted include those of Ismail al Ghoul and cameraman Rami al Refee. The two were wearing Press vests and helmets whilst being driven in cars marked as ‘TV’. Both were targeted and killed by an Israeli missile drone strike as they were leaving Al Shati refugee camp from where they’d been reporting. Video footage reveals that Al Ghoul’s head was completely severed from his body. Not only were these deaths horrific, but the lies Israel spewed to justify their killings were contemptible. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) alleged that al-Ghoul was an engineer within Hamas’ military wing, and that he had received a Hamas military ranking in 2007. Ridiculous, as since al-Ghoul was born in 1997, he would have been just 10 years old at this time. During his work as a journalist Al-Ghoul was renowned for transmitting news and images of the Israeli strikes on Gaza, along with the state of famine and disease, particularly in northern Gaza.

The CPJ continues to research the details for confirmation of many more cases that indicate possible targeting. However, it can only research those it has enough concrete evidence to go on. And of course, due to the difficult circumstances, the actual amount is likely to be far far higher again since so many are missing, their bodies or remains yet to be discovered under rubble. What with journalists in northern Gaza now facing particularly catastrophic conditions, the figures will continue to grow, despite the upcoming so-called ‘ceasefire’.  

Abductions and arrests of journalists, as with medical personnel, are forever increasing too.  On 19th December Israeli forces abducted Al Jazeera’s correspondent, Moath Al-Kahlout in northern Gaza. Also aid workers, writers, medical staff, and poets have been killed. The most notable of the latter being Refaat Alareer, a prominent professor at the Islamic University of Gaza. He published his poem, ‘If I Must Die’, which urges us to tell the tale of Gaza, just a few days before he was murdered by Israeli forces.

Media institutions, including TV and radio stations, training centers, and news agencies, have all faced severe destruction too. Even social media influencers and civilian Journalists, who are excluded from the CPJ lists of targeted killings, have been killed. The estimated losses to the media sector exceed $400 million, further ruining its ability to operate amid the ongoing violence.

There are also several documented cases of journalists being arrested and tortured by the IDF. Some have been forced into exile just to protect their families. Plus, there’s the increasing imprisonment of journalists, held without charge. In effect they are arrested just for doing their job. Factually, they are ‘political prisoners’, and therefore without the rights granted by international law, just as Julian Assange was. Incidentally The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recognised Assange as a political prisoner and warned the world about the effect his treatment had on journalists and whistleblowers globally.

According to a recent CPJ report, Israel ranks as the second worst offender for crimes against journalists that go unpunished. Journalists are protected as civilians as in accordance with international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 2222/2015 on the protection of journalists, media professional and associated personnel in situations of conflict. The UN expert committee ruled on 29th October this year that Israel’s detention of Palestinian journalists was unlawful.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and by coordinating the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. 

Murdered and arbitrarily arrested journalists are honoured on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Ending impunity is an essential precondition to guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens. So, isn’t it obvious that exposing government wrongdoing is not a crime? It’s essential to make sure that those who break international law are held accountable.

So why hasn’t Israel been held accountable yet?

Punishing crimes against journalists would mean punishing the Israeli government itself for its targeted killings. The CPJ has been urgently calling for the international community to hold Israel accountable. But the international community is not doing this. Nor are its media. Quite the opposite in fact. Western government officials are supporting Israel’s propaganda narrative and actively suppressing and silencing the free press nationally and transnationally, smearing anyone who comes up with evidence of Israel’s war crimes. At the same time, they are still supplying weapons that are used in targeted killings of journalists in Palestine and Lebanon.

The mainstream western media too are suppressing Israel’s targeting and attacking of Palestinian journalists and anything that puts Israel in an unfavourable light. Instead, they are giving Israel’s version of events; often totally unrealistic and untruthful. The magnitude of disparities is substantial. A study outlining this by Mohamed el Masry, a Professor of Media Studies at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, breaks down and illustrates exactly how western news outlets are routinely privileging Israeli sources.

What’s more, western news organisations could be held legally accountable for facilitating genocide, as argued by International Human Rights lawyer, Craig Mokhiber, a former director in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Though legal accountability of this kind is unfortunately unlikely. Still if news organisations at least attempted to engage in some form of self-reflection, this could help in their efforts to uphold truth and mitigate criticism from a multitude of individuals including scholars, employees, and legal experts, all of whom should have their voices better received soon.

Although Al Jazeera has called on human rights and media organisations to condemn Israel’s systematic killing of journalists, and its evasion of responsibilities under international humanitarian law, it’s clear that the international community has failed in its obligations to hold Israel responsible for its actions. What should be the case is that those responsible for the killings in Gaza face dual trials. One under international law and another before the revengeful, relentless gaze of generations to come.

Palestinian journalists have been paying the price of their lives for their reporting. And those still surviving are often doing so without protection, equipment, international presence, or accommodation, food and water. And even the basic tools of their trade such as mobile phone chargers, SD cards for cameras, other equipment, and most of all communications are all scarce. But they are still managing to tell the world what is happening in Gaza, where to date at least 45,200 people have died. Most of world though is rarely listening. So incredibly disappointing. As the final line from the aforementioned ‘If I must die’ by Refaat Alareer says, ‘I must die, let it be hope, let it tell a tale.’

David Lammy recently stated that “the are no journalists in Gaza”, and in doing so he effectively conveniently ignored Palestinian journalists excellent reporting and bravery. Israel has conveniently banned any international journalist from reporting on the ground in Gaza for 15 months now.

THE UK USE OF ANTI-TERROR LEGISLATION

A further concern is the UK use of anti-terror legislation to arrest and detain people for simply being pro-Palestinian be they journalists, writers, filmmakers, academics, or protestors. Even the founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine, himself a child of Holocaust survivors, was arrested.

Here counter terrorism police frequently carry out raids and arrests on grounds of suspicion of committing an offence under section 12(1)A of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Those arrested with their homes raided include journalists Asa Winstanley of Electronic Intifada, independent journalist Richard Medhurst, activist Sarah Wilkinson, Professor Haim Bresheeth, a child of Holocaust survivors and founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine, other academics, and pro-Palestinian protestors and activists.

S.12 (1A) states “a person commits an offence if the person (a) expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, and (b) in doing so supports a proscribed organisation.”

Tony Greenstein, a pensioner from Brighton had his home raided early in the morning by south-east counter terrorist police on suspicion of committing an offence under section 12 (1) for a tweet which expressed support for Palestinian Resistance in its fight against Israel’s genocidal occupation of Gaza. But as Greenstein points out, being arrested for expressing an opinion or belief that the Government doesn’t like, contradicts freedom of speech and is contrary to Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights which guarantees the right of freedom of speech and expression.

Also, the second part of s.12(1A) criminalises the expression of an opinion or belief if the person is reckless as to its effect on someone who reads it. But, again as Greenstein has asserted, this is inappropriate when it comes to someone’s opinion or belief.

UPDATES:

UPDATED 07/04/25 The Israeli military forces bombed a media tent next to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on 7th April. Two journalists were burnt alive. Another ten or so were seriously injured. It is believed to have been a targeted attack on the tent

UPDATED 02/04/25 Mohammed Saleh Al-Bardawil was killed on 1st April, the third day of Eid al-Fitr by an Israeli airstrike on his home in Khan Younis. His wife and three children were also killed. Al-Bardawil worked as a broadcaster for Al-Aqsa Radio, and had done for over 15 years.

UPDATED: 25/03/25 Reporters Hossam Shabat, who is mentioned in this article, and Mohammed Mansour, were killed on 24th March by the Israeli Military. Shabat was hit by an Israeli missile that targeted his car. He was killed less than an hour after reporting on Mansour’s death. Mansour was at home when a missile struck his house. His wife and children also died. The CPJ has called for an independent international investigation into whether the two journalists were deliberately targeted. Upon his death, the IDF took to X to label Shabat a “terrorist” and defended his killing.

This is the last message from Shabat:

“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.

By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months . I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.

I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”

— For the last time, Hossam Shabat, from northern Gaza.

UPDATED:

https://www.threads.net/@ajplus/post/DIt5ycyhIQ_?xmt=AQGz5mJNIpZ3jNx_iSKT6MdOl-ihoIrcrEV1_wM920VnuQ

10/03/25 A special recognition reward for Gazan journalists was pulled by the Royal Television Society last Wednesday 5th March in London at the last minute. The RTS sent frantically sent an email to the jurors stating the award was cancelled due to the fervour the BBC had received over its documentary Gaza: How to Survive in a War Zone, and that it “didn’t want to add fuel to the fire” by such a “political football”.

Adrian Wells, chair of the RTS Television Journalism Awards, had initially planned to dedicate the award to journalists in Gaza “to recognise their enormous efforts over the last 18 months or so of extreme pressure and endeavour.”

The pulling of the award is a clear insult to the brave reporting of journalists in Gaza while they faced extreme danger and deliberate targeting by Israel.

The BBC choose to pull their Gaza documentary after it emerged that the 14-year-old who narrated the film was the son of the deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas government. Even though this was a civilian role, it was interpreted as a link to Hamas.

UPDATED 25/04/25: After receiving over 400 letters of complaint from journalists and media workers, the RTS agreed to reinstate the award in London on 14/03/25.

Updated 11/08/25

Israeli forces targeted and killed two prominent al Jazeera journalists and three of their colleagues late last night in Gaza City.

The Israeli Defence Force has admitted the deliberate killing of Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqea, cameramen and photojournalists Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Mosaab Al Sharif, when it struck them in the tent for journalists outside al-Shifa hospital.

Israel claimed al-Sharif worked for Hamas, though in July the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, called it “an unsubstantiated claim” and a “blatant assault on journalists”.

Israel has a longstanding record of accusing journalists of being terrorists but has failed to provide substantial and credible proof.

“Israel is murdering the messengers,” said the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Regional Director Sara Qudah.

“It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif — who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war — surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory,” she added.

Israel still refuses to let foreign reporters into Gaza.

Last month, al-Sharif told the CPJ that he lived with the “feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment”.

This was his last tweet, posted just an hour before he was killed:

“To Whom It May Concern,

The occupation is now openly threatening a full-scale invasion of Gaza.

For 22 months, the city has been bleeding under relentless bombardment from land, sea, and air. Tens of thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands wounded.

If this madness does not end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased — and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop. Please share this message and tag everyone who has the power to help end this massacre. Silence is complicity.”

***

‘If I Must Die’ by Refaat Alareer

If I must die, 

you must live 

to tell my story 

to sell my things 

to buy a piece of cloth 

and some strings, 

(make it white with a long tail) 

so that a child, somewhere in Gaza 

while looking heaven in the eye 

awaiting his dad who left in a blaze— 

and bid no one farewell 

not even to his flesh 

not even to himself— 

sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above 

and thinks for a moment an angel is there 

bringing back love 

If I must die 

let it bring hope 

let it be a tale

---

---

---

Tina Bexson lives between Sinai, Cairo and London, and has done for many years

She is a freelance researcher and news and features writer for both national newspapers and magazines. Publications include: the Guardian, London’s Evening Standard, The Times, Ars Notoria, Environmental Health Journal, Environmental Health News, Public Health News, Your Life Magazine, Hotdog film Magazine, Mental Health Today Magazine, Jack, Maxim, Midweek, and Living Abroad Magazine. 

Subject areas include: Travel photojournalism, health, psychology, war, the military, crime, criminology, prison, psychiatry, social issues, environment, lifestyle, film, the arts

https://tinabexson.wordpress.com/