According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 72 of the 99 journalists killed around the world in 2023 were Palestinians covering Israel's war in Gaza, making the past 12 months the worst for media in 10 years. It was the worst casualty in nearly a year.
CPJ said in its annual report released on Thursday that if not for the deaths from the ongoing war in Gaza, the number of journalists killed around the world would have decreased year-on-year.
“In December 2023, CPJ reported that more journalists were killed in the first three months of the Israel-Gaza war than are killed in a single country in a single year,” the group said. .
It records a total of 77 journalists killed in the line of duty during last year's war in Gaza: 72 Palestinians, three Lebanese and two Israelis.
Palestinian victims account for almost 75 percent of all journalists killed worldwide.
“This war is unprecedented in terms of threats to journalists,” CPJ Chairman Jodi Ginsburg told Al Jazeera from New York.
“The important thing to remember about this war is that Gaza journalists are the only journalists who can report on what is happening inside Gaza. They are not allowed to enter the country or enter the country, except for travel.
“So we are completely dependent on them. [Palestinian] “Journalists are risking their lives to bring us this story,” she added.
On February 7, a New York-based press freedom organization announced that the number of journalists killed in the war in Gaza had risen to 85.
CPJ has previously attacked the “persecution” of journalists by the Israeli military and is investigating whether the 12 journalists killed in the Gaza conflict were deliberately targeted by Israeli soldiers, but this would qualify as a war crime.
“Journalists everywhere are under threat”
Ginsburg said she was “disappointed…to see the lack of national solidarity” with Palestinian journalists as the war continues.
He said he was willing to show solidarity with those targeted and killed in Gaza, given that Israel is “a country and a problem that divides international media and international politicians more than anything else.” He said the West's “hesitancy” was “sadly not surprising”.
However, she emphasized that: “To ensure press freedom and journalists are protected, let our colleagues in Gaza and across the region know that we stand with them and are there to support them. I think it's very important that journalists are protected, not just at this critical moment in Gaza, but around the world, where journalists are under threat everywhere. ”
The death toll of 99 journalists killed around the world is the highest since 2015 and an increase of nearly 44 percent compared to 2022 numbers, according to the CPJ report.
According to the report, the countries with the greatest declines in journalist deaths in 2023 were Ukraine and Mexico. In both cases, the number of murders increased from 13 to 2.
The group said the death toll has remained stable in Somalia and the Philippines. But the paper warned that Mexico, along with the Philippines and Somalia, is “one of the most dangerous countries in the world for news organizations.”
“Compounding the situation is the surveillance of journalists and rights activists by government agencies, with significant numbers of journalists forced to leave their homes and abandon their professions due to the violence.” CPJ 's report warns.
Journalists in the Palestinian territories are at risk of Israeli shelling and arrest even when they are not working. The Gaza government media office announced that at least 126 Palestinian media workers have been killed since the Israeli war began on October 7.
Journalists working in conflict areas are protected by international humanitarian law. Palestinian journalists have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the law by targeting the media.
“It is extremely important that these killings are thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable,” Ginsburg told Al Jazeera.
She said her organization was working to document attacks on journalists in Gaza, which could later be used as evidence and submitted to institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.