Gaza: The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the deliberate assassination committed by the Israeli occupation army earlier today that led to the killing of journalists Abdul Raouf Shaath, Mohammad Salah Qeshta, and Anas Ghunaim, in a direct strike in the city of Al-Zahraa in central Gaza.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the syndicate stated that the journalists were targeted while documenting the suffering of civilians in displacement camps. It emphasized that such attacks are part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice, obstructing the transmission of facts, and concealing crimes committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The syndicate declared that the direct bombing of the journalists' vehicle constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international humanitarian law. It highlighted that this act represents a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and United Nations resolutions guaranteeing the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.
Holding the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for the crime, the syndicate noted that a longstanding policy of impunity has encouraged continued attacks on journalists. It pointed out that hundreds of journalists have been killed since the start of the aggression in 2023, marking one of the deadliest periods for journalism in modern history.
The syndicate called on the International Criminal Court to open urgent and serious investigations and to issue arrest warrants against those responsible for killing journalists.
Furthermore, it urged the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and relevant international institutions to take concrete measures beyond statements of condemnation and to work toward providing immediate international protection for Palestinian journalists.