
Palestinian Authority Suspends Al Jazeera Websites Amid Crackdown on Press
January 6, 2025
Iran’s Journalists Face Escalating Legal Repression and Intimidation
January 6, 2025January 6, 2025 – Palestine/Israel –
In a powerful statement issued on January 6, 2025, human rights organization ARTICLE 19 condemned the ongoing violence and repression targeting journalists in Gaza and the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups. The group warned that the deliberate targeting of journalists and press facilities not only violates international humanitarian law but could amount to war crimes.
According to ARTICLE 19, at least 13 Palestinian journalists were killed in December 2024 and early January 2025 by Israeli airstrikes. One of the deadliest incidents involved a marked press vehicle belonging to Al-Quds Media, which was struck by Israeli forces, killing five journalists. The Israeli government claimed the strike targeted militants allegedly posing as members of the press—a justification that ARTICLE 19 rejected as a dangerous precedent that undermines press protections.
The organization also highlighted the April 2025 airstrike on journalists’ tents in Khan Younis, which killed two journalists and wounded several others. These attacks, ARTICLE 19 asserts, violated Israel’s obligations under international law, which protects journalists as civilians during armed conflict unless they directly participate in hostilities.
In the West Bank, journalists are facing increasing repression by Israeli authorities. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, over 70 Palestinian journalists have reportedly been arrested. Journalists have also been subjected to interrogations, beatings, and restrictions on movement through military checkpoints and “closed military zones,” effectively obstructing independent reporting on the ground.
ARTICLE 19 has called for immediate international action, including transparent investigations into journalist deaths and arrests, the removal of restrictions on press access, and accountability through the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The organization emphasized that press freedom is critical to documenting human rights violations and ensuring transparency during conflict. It warned that failure to hold perpetrators accountable contributes to a dangerous cycle of impunity. ARTICLE 19 concluded with a strong call for all parties to uphold international law, protect journalists, and cease targeting the press, stating that the right to report must not become another casualty of war.
Reference –