Israel’s war against press freedom in Palestine

Attacks on journalists are increasing, but Israel’s war against Hamas in Palestine has taken on a whole new dimension. It is aimed at the physical decimation of journalists, which is different from the attacks on journalism by other powers.

States around the world are spreading fear. Journalists are being told not to report on issues such as the Palestinian conflict. This is causing the quality of journalism to decline and civil society and democracies to become weaker. Legal measures to combat impunity could be based on the concept of transitional justice from international human rights law and strengthen collective will.

Transitional justice principles, such as criminal investigations, truth-seeking, prosecutions, reparations, and structural and institutional reforms to ensure non-repetition, have been cited by judges and investigators in some recent cases of attacks on journalists. It is crucial to apply these measures consistently to protect journalism at the local, national and global levels.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed over 122 journalists in Gaza since October 7. As of June 14, 108 journalists and media workers have been killed: 103 Palestinians, two Israelis and three Lebanese. 32 journalists were injured. Two journalists were reported missing. 46 journalists were arrested – multiple attacks, threats, cyberattacks, censorship and murders of family members – including 22 killed while doing their jobs. This makes Palestine the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

Since the October 7 Hamas-orchestrated attack in southern Israel, 76 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been arrested by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and 50 of them have been detained. According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Union (PJS), 20 of them have been placed in administrative detention.

The unprecedented number of journalists being detained without cause is part of a larger effort by Israel to intimidate them and prevent them from reporting on the military occupation. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Israel to stop the persecution of Palestinian journalists and to release them all immediately and unconditionally.

Professional and amateur journalists report on the fighting in Gaza from the besieged and cut-off enclave and use social media to keep the world informed about daily life in times of conflict. They also work for domestic and foreign media. There are several independent media outlets in Palestine, including Watan TV and Ajyal Radio and media with links to the Palestinian Authority or Fatahincluding Palestine TV and the Wafa news agency.

The content is subject to political control. There are other media outlets in the Gaza Strip that are linked to Hamas, including Al-Aqsa Media Network and the Shehab News Agency. The economic situation has had a significant impact on independent and semi-independent media in the Gaza Strip. Most of them are in a precarious financial situation. Israeli bombings have damaged most of the enclave’s media and telecommunications infrastructure. The economic situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly. Over 80 percent of the population – including hundreds of journalists – are displaced, living in tents and almost no humanitarian aid is allowed in.

On March 19, Israeli security forces arrested Palestinian journalist Rula Hassanein and confiscated her phone and laptop. Hassanein, who reports on human rights abuses and the Israeli occupation, was forced to leave her nine-month-old child with her husband. This is the story of just one of the 75 journalists Israel has arrested since the war began. After October 7, Israeli security forces increased the number of Palestinian journalists they arrested without filing charges. The basic laws of the Palestinian Authority guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of expression, but none of this seems relevant in the current situation.

There are many IHRL treaties, regional instruments, declarations and UN resolutions dedicated to press freedom and the safety of journalists. Yet Israel does not respect its IHRL obligations to protect journalists and free media. Certain journalistic rights are included in this freedom, such as the right to keep sources secret, the right to non-discriminatory accreditation or identification, and the freedom to travel within and outside countries.

Free media play a crucial role in promoting the accountability and transparency necessary to ensure all human rights. This means that freedom of journalistic activity generally triumphs over official regulatory interests.

The aim of Israel’s intensified campaign and detentions is to prevent journalists from speaking for the Palestinian people and dominating reporting from the West Bank. Another goal is to instill fear in other journalists by making them believe they will attack anyone who dares to speak. Twenty Palestinian journalists are currently registered with the PJS as journalists in administrative detention, a practice that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely without charge or trial based on secret intelligence. Press freedom groups claim that since the beginning of the war, Israel has increasingly used administrative detention as a means of suppressing dissent, including that of journalists.

International human rights law defines the increasing frequency of attacks by Israel’s security forces on journalists and preventing them from doing their work as a violation of press freedom. Since the beginning of its aggression against the Palestinian people and journalists, Israel’s relentless assault on the ideals of press freedom has not received the requisite rebuttal and rejection by international organizations or countries that claim to protect democratic values.

(Ravi Kumar is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, South Asian University and Nafees Ahmad is Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, South Asian University.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.