UN Human Rights Office – OPT: There can be no talk of a free press in the Occupied Palestinian Territory if journalists are being killed, and threatened for their work

May 02, 2025 – General – 

The international community is raising urgent alarms over the escalating attacks on journalists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza, where over 170 journalists have been killed since October 2023. The United Nations Human Rights Office confirmed that many of the journalists were identifiable, wearing press vests and helmets, yet were still targeted, suggesting deliberate acts against members of the press.

Leading human rights organizations, including Al-Haq and Al Mezan, have filed urgent appeals to the UN, demanding investigations into what they believe are war crimes committed by Israeli forces. These appeals cite the systematic targeting of journalists and media infrastructure, as well as reports of threatening phone calls warning reporters before attacks. According to the UN, “there can be no talk of a free press” in territories where journalists are consistently killed, injured, or intimidated for doing their jobs.

The use of advanced weaponry, including drones, has reportedly enabled precise strikes against journalists, even while they are reporting live or traveling in vehicles marked “PRESS.” As a result, local journalists have become frontline witnesses to war, facing death with little to no protection. Meanwhile, foreign press access to Gaza has been heavily restricted by Israeli authorities, leaving the world dependent on the few Palestinian journalists still able to report from the ground.

International watchdogs stress that targeting journalists not only violates international law but also attacks the public’s right to information. The UN warns that such violence erodes the foundational principles of press freedom and democratic accountability. Rights groups argue that this suppression of media coverage conceals the true scale of human suffering and hinders any path to justice.

As the world marks World Press Freedom Day, the situation in Gaza stands as a chilling example of the cost of truth-telling in times of conflict—and the urgent need to hold perpetrators accountable.

Local statement – WPFD

Reference – 

https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-office-opt-there-can-be-no-talk-free-press-occupied-palestinian-territory-if-journalists-are-being-killed-and-threatened-their-work

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/ohchr-there-can-be-no-talk-of-a-free-press-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-if-journalists-are-being-killed-and-threatened-for-their-work/

https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/21894.html