“See no Evil:” The Israeli Army’s Policy of Targeting Journalists

Palestinian journalists face severe risks in the occupied territories, with over 900 violations by Israeli forces reported in 2022, including shootings, detentions, and assaults, often targeting press clearly identified as such.

June 18, 2023 – by GCHR –

By Ahmad Al-Rajabi – Palestinian journalist

This article was originally published in Arabic on Daraj Media on 18 June 2023 and in English on 5 July 2023. The English version has been modified since it was first posted here.

Shireen Abu Akleh is not alone. The Israeli army in recent years killed or maimed numerous Palestinian journalists working in the occupied territories. Take photographer Moath Amarneh. He was shot in the head by a sniper sitting only 30 meters away and lost an eye.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate stated in its annual Freedoms Report that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in 2022 committed over 900 crimes and human rights violations targeting Palestinian journalists operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

No less than 52 bullets hit the bodies of journalists in the field last year. Despite wearing a press flag jacket, Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot in the head and killed by an Israeli sniper.

Young radio journalist Ghufran Al-Warasneh was shot dead at an Israeli checkpoint on her way to work. The IOF claimed she was carrying a knife. Dozens of other journalists were injured by a variety of metal, rubber or plastic bullets.

Detaining media crews and preventing them from working, amounted to 316 incidents. The number of injuries due to tear gas and stun grenades amounted to 95, while 117 colleagues were subjected to physical assault. This report sheds a light on three Palestinian journalists who lost their eyesight at the hands of the Israeli army.

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“See no Evil:” The Israeli Army’s Policy of Targeting Journalists