Gaza Journalists Launch Protest Demanding Protection

(MENAFN) Dozens of media workers, correspondents, and rights advocates gathered in Gaza on Sunday to protest the relentless targeting of journalists — choosing World Press Freedom Day to amplify their calls for international intervention amid a war that has claimed the lives of more than 260 reporters since October 2023.

The rally, organized by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in the Gaza Strip, convened outside a solidarity tent in the rubble-strewn courtyard of the destroyed Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center in western Gaza City. Journalists from local and international outlets joined representatives of media and rights organizations, raising banners demanding an end to direct targeting and protection guarantees under what participants described as "extremely dangerous" conditions, according to a correspondent on the ground.

Tahseen al-Astal, deputy head of the syndicate, accused Israel of implementing a "policy of systematic targeting" against media workers, while vowing that Palestinian journalists would not be silenced.

"The Palestinian journalist will not abandon his identity, his narrative, or his mission and will remain committed to conveying the truth to the world," he told the crowd.

Al-Astal condemned threats, killings, and attacks on journalists' families and workplaces as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," calling on international institutions and the International Federation of Journalists to fulfill their legal and moral obligations. He urged an end to "the genocide on civilians and journalists and accountability for those responsible," cautioning that "impunity encourages further violations against media workers."

Ahed Farawna, syndicate secretary, painted a devastating portrait of journalism under siege. Speaking to media, he said more than 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the war's outbreak, with hundreds more injured or detained and widespread destruction inflicted upon media infrastructure. Such targeting, he argued, reflects a "systematic approach to silencing the Palestinian media voice," adding that the international community bears an urgent moral and legal responsibility to act.

The toll, as relayed by Mohammad Abu Nammous, a correspondent for Al-Ghad TV, is staggering: more than 262 journalists killed, over 420 injured during field coverage, and most media offices in the enclave reduced to rubble. "The (Israeli) occupation has destroyed most media offices, causing major paralysis in the media infrastructure inside the enclave," he told Anadolu, adding: "These figures reflect a policy targeting press freedom and restricting access to information."

Nahed Abu Harbeed, a correspondent for Alkofiya TV, described journalists operating "under direct threat of bombardment and targeting," noting that many have lost colleagues yet press on out of an unwavering commitment to documentation and truth.

The protests come against the backdrop of a war that, since October 8, 2023, has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000. Despite a ceasefire nominally in place since October 2025, Israel continues daily strikes and maintains a blockade that has deepened the humanitarian catastrophe across the enclave, home to approximately 2.4 million Palestinians — including 1.5 million who have been displaced.

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