MADA Condemns the Killing of Palestinian Journalists Amid Israeli Airstrikes

November 20, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has strongly condemned the continued killing of Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces, particularly in the Gaza Strip. In its latest statement, MADA denounced the targeted airstrike that killed four journalists in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on March 15, 2025. The journalists—Bilal Abu Matar, Bilal Akila, Mahmoud Yahya Al-Saraj, and Mahmoud Salim Eslaim—were working with the Al-Khair International Foundation and had been documenting humanitarian efforts at a local shelter when their vehicle was struck. All four were killed instantly despite being identified as press workers.

MADA emphasized that this attack was not an isolated incident but part of a systematic pattern of lethal violence against the Palestinian media community. According to its documentation, the number of journalists killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, has reached a staggering 255. MADA underscored that many of those killed were wearing marked “Press” vests or were working in areas without active combat, yet they were still targeted.

In its condemnation, MADA accused the Israeli military of deliberate and unlawful targeting of journalists, calling such actions grave violations of international humanitarian law. The organization stated that these killings constitute an attempt to silence independent coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and deprive the world of first-hand accounts from the war zone.

MADA’s statement also expressed alarm over the rising frequency and brutality of violations against media freedoms, noting a significant surge in documented attacks, arrests, equipment confiscations, and destruction of press offices and homes. The organization called on the international community to take urgent steps to hold Israeli authorities accountable and to ensure justice for the journalists who have been killed while performing their duties.

Above all, MADA appealed for immediate international protection for Palestinian journalists and renewed its demand for an independent investigation into the targeting of media professionals. It reiterated that press workers are civilians under international law and must not be treated as military targets.

Reference – 

https://ifex.org/mada-condemns-killing-of-four-journalists-amid-escalating-israeli-airstrikes/

https://www.madacenter.org/en/article/1494/