[News] Israeli Army Labels Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza ‘Terrorists’ Amid Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Israeli Army Labels Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza ‘Terrorists’ Amid
Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing The six journalists are the only international
media professionals still documenting Israel's crimes in northern Gaza.
October 23, 2024 - https://qudsnen.co/?p=50147
[image: a875oNO_700b.jpg]

Gaza (Quds News Network)- The Israeli army has officially labeled six Al
Jazeera journalists working in Gaza as “terrorists,” accusing them of links
to Hamas and IJ movements. The journalists targeted by this claim include
Anas Sharif, Hossam Shabat, Alaa Salama, Talal Al-Arouqi, Ismail Abu Omar,
and Ashraf Al-Sarraj.

This labeling comes amidst a broader Israeli campaign against Palestinian
journalists in Gaza. Since the start of Israel’s military operations on
October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed 177 journalists, including Al
Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al-Ghoul and cameramen Samer Abu Daqa and
Hamza Al-Dahdouh. These journalists were documenting the humanitarian
crisis and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s offices have already faced severe actions from Israel,
including the closure of its Ramallah office last month. This crackdown is
part of a broader effort to silence media outlets exposing the brutal
realities of Israel’s attacks in Gaza. In recent weeks, journalists have
faced escalating threats, with Israeli drones directly targeting
journalists wearing press gear, such as photographer Fadi Al-Wheidi, who
was injured while documenting civilian evacuations near Jabalia.

In a separate incident, Ali Al-Attar, another photographer, was injured by
an Israeli airstrike that hit displaced civilians near Shuhada’ Al-Aqsa
Hospital in Deir Al-Balah.

Al Jazeera has strongly condemned Israel’s accusations against its
journalists, calling them false and part of an effort to silence the few
remaining media voices on the ground in Gaza. The network emphasized that
these accusations are part of a propaganda campaign aimed at covering up
the war crimes committed against civilians in Gaza. Al Jazeera reminded the
public that its journalists are the only international media professionals
still documenting the dire humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing siege
and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

The network rejected Israeli claims that its journalists are “terrorists,”
highlighting the use of fabricated evidence to support the accusations.
They reiterated that their reporters are dedicated professionals working
under extreme danger to reveal the truth about the suffering of nearly two
million people in Gaza.
Israeli campaign against Palestinian journalist

In response, media rights organizations, including the Palestinian Center
for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), condemned the Israeli army’s
incitement campaign against Al Jazeera journalists. MADA stated that these
threats come amid a broader effort to suppress independent reporting and
prevent the exposure of Israeli military violations.

Furthermore, the Center for Social Media Monitoring (Sada Social) noted a
rise in digital incitement against journalists, with settlers groups openly
calling for their killing on platforms like Telegram. This incitement,
coupled with physical violence against journalists, represents a direct
threat to their lives and aims to intimidate them into abandoning their
work.

Sada Social emphasized that these actions constitute grave violations of
international humanitarian law, particularly Article 79 of the Additional
Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions, which mandates the protection of
journalists in conflict zones. The killing of 177 journalists in Gaza
underscores Israel’s systematic attempt to silence the press and prevent
the world from witnessing its military actions.
Potential assassination attempts

Hossam Shabat, one of the targeted Al Jazeera journalists, denounced the
accusations, stressing that they are fabricated and a prelude to potential
assassination attempts. He urged international media organizations to show
solidarity with Gaza’s journalists, who are under constant threat while
documenting the region’s ongoing humanitarian disaster.

The Government Media Office in Gaza issued a statement condemning Israel’s
direct incitement against journalists, stating that Israel is spreading
false information to discredit their work. The office highlighted that the
Israeli army has repeatedly misrepresented data, including listing young
Palestinian journalists as “militant leaders” without any credible evidence.

The office also called on international press unions and media
organizations to condemn the ongoing Israeli attacks on journalists and
hold Israel accountable for the incitement, which often leads to lethal
outcomes.

In light of these ongoing threats, Palestinian media and rights groups
urged the global community to take immediate action to ensure the safety of
journalists working in Gaza, who continue to face both physical and digital
threats for simply reporting the realities of the conflict. The groups
stressed that protecting journalists is essential for maintaining a free
press, particularly in conflict zones, where their work is critical to
exposing human rights violations and war crimes.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20241023/6474f58e/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: a875oNO_700b.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 50545 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20241023/6474f58e/attachment-0001.jpg>