As many as 44 Palestinian journalists were killed in evacuation tents in the Gaza Strip, among more than 270 media workers killed by Israeli occupation forces since October 2023, Al-Mayadeen news agency reported.
Many journalists were taking shelter near hospitals and UN-run facilities when occupation forces launched airstrikes and direct sniper fire on evacuation tents, according to a new report by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate’s Freedom Committee.
The report pointed to a systematic campaign targeting Gaza’s media infrastructure, citing the destruction of news bureaus and the deliberate killing of journalists in their homes, workplaces, and temporary shelters.
The syndicate stressed that targeting journalists constitutes a war crime under Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which guarantees civilian protection for media workers. It further noted that attacks on evacuation tents near hospitals and schools constitute a serious violation of the protection afforded to humanitarian areas.
Investigators confirmed that no military activity was detected in or around the targeted tent, denying Israel’s claims that it was an accidental attack. The group claimed that the use of precision weapons in densely populated areas “reflects a calculated intention not only to cause death, but also to silence witnesses and prevent recording of events.”
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate urged the establishment of an independent international commission to investigate the targeting of journalists and called for the activation of the International Criminal Court Mechanism to pursue accountability for war crimes.
It also appealed for cooperation with UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists to establish safe passage and protected areas for displaced media workers, while maintaining a comprehensive legal archive to support future judicial proceedings.
In early August, an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent sheltering journalists outside the main gate of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, killing six journalists, including Al-Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif. The deliberate attack targeting al-Sharif sparked international condemnation and renewed calls for an investigation into Israel’s crimes.
The syndicate’s latest report adds to a growing body of evidence from press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RWB), that Israel’s war on Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history, and sounds an urgent alarm about systemic violations of international humanitarian law.
MNA