A number of prominent international human rights organizations have issued a joint letter to US President Joe Biden, urging the American government to step in and ensure the more robust protection for journalists and press freedom in Gaza. This statement arises amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas War.
Endorsed by the likes of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Freedom House, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the letter presses President Biden on a number of issues.
- For both Israel and Hamas to guarantee improved security for journalists in Gaza covering the conflict.
- To insist that Israel and Egypt allow international journalists physical access and virtual entry into Gaza.
- To ensure US weapons utilized in Gaza are abiding by both international and US law.
- To demand that Israel permits vital journalistic equipment, like flack jackets and SIM cards, into Gaza.
- To support in-depth investigations into the demise of journalists in Gaza since the war started.
In the letter, they wrote that the US “should use its considerable influence with the Israeli government to press them to ensure that journalists are able to safely document military operations and to shed light on their compliance with international humanitarian law.”
Despite the undeniable significance of journalists during times of conflict, numerous lives have been lost since the start of the war. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) reports that 103 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began. Conversely, CPJ alleges that 82 journalists and members of the media have been killed.
It is worth noting here that Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the ICC states the targeting of civilians as a war crime. Journalists “engaged in dangerous professional missions” in war zones are seen as civilians, according to Article 79 of the Geneva Convention. This extends the Rome Statute’s protections to journalists and locals in conflict zones. Israel is currently not an ICC member and has denied the court’s jurisdiction over Gaza. Regardless, in 2021, ICC ruled that Palestine is a state party to the Rome Statute, granting the court jurisdiction in Gaza.
The call for increased protection for journalists has become urgent as two reporters were recently killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza. This incident further highlights the apparent necessity for stronger protective measures. For their part, Israeli authorities continue to argue they “cannot guarantee” the safety of journalists and allege that Hamas uses journalism as a “cover for terrorism” within Gaza.