London Vigil Honors Palestinian Journalists Killed by Israel

(MENAFN) Hundreds convened Wednesday in London outside the UK Prime Minister’s Office at Downing Street to mourn Palestinian journalists who have lost their lives in Israeli attacks on Gaza. The solemn gathering was organized by the Freelance Branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), with attendees holding banners displaying the names of the deceased reporters.

Before the memorial, NUJ officials submitted a letter to No. 10 Downing Street outlining their demands for the UK government’s response to these fatalities.

At the event, former BBC and LBC presenter Sangita Myska spotlighted the death of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, calling him “an important journalist for viewers.” She pointed out that despite being flagged as at risk by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Al-Sharif was left unprotected and killed on August 10.

“Governments neither said anything nor did anything about this,” Myska asserted, emphasizing that Israel wrongly labeled Al-Sharif a terrorist and “Israel still continues to threaten journalists.”

Myska hailed Palestinian journalists as “the bravest people in the world,” noting that “they continue their work despite Israeli attacks and threats. But the West belittles their profession.” She referenced five journalists who died in a recent Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital, representing major outlets such as Reuters, The Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Al Jazeera.

“Israel, like terrorist organizations, carried out a second attack on those arriving at the scene after the first strike,” she stated.

Criticizing international media coverage, Myska questioned, “If Russia had killed five journalists on live broadcast, do you think the British media would have ignored it? I don’t think so.”

She added, “A Palestinian journalist being killed is not just the death of one person -- it is the death of journalism.”

Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq condemned Israel’s actions: “Why does Israel kill journalists? Because it can. Because it knows it will answer to no one. Because reality is its greatest enemy. As long as no one opposes them, unfortunately, Israel will continue killing Palestinians.”

Alnaouq vowed, “The Palestinian journalists who were killed will not be forgotten; their stories will continue to be told, and we will shout their names.”

The memorial concluded with the reading of the fallen journalists’ names and a funeral prayer said in absentia.

The latest deaths bring the total number of Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023 to 246.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed over 62,700 Palestinians in Gaza amid a military campaign that has left the enclave devastated and facing famine.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also subject to a genocide case before the International Court of Justice over its military operations in the region.

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