Ramallah: The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate organized a march in Ramallah on Wednesday to commemorate the second anniversary of the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and to condemn what the Syndicate described as the "media genocide" perpetrated by the occupation against Palestinian journalists and media outlets.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the march set off from the Ramallah Cultural Palace Square toward the United Nations headquarters, with the participation of hundreds of journalists, local and international media workers, and representatives of human rights organizations. Participants carried coffins, pictures of slain colleagues, and slogans condemning the occupation's crimes and calling on the international community to halt the aggression and allow international and Arab journalists into the Gaza Strip.
A delegation from the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate delivered an official petition to the United Nations mission in Ramallah, demanding effective international protection for Palestinian journalists, holding the occupation leaders accountable for their crimes against the media and its workers, and considering what happened in Gaza "the first media genocide in the history of humanity."
Nasser Abu Bakr, head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, stated that the suffering of journalists in the Gaza Strip has reached a stage of genocide, unprecedented in human history. He reported that 252 journalists, including 34 women, have been killed. He added that the occupation is committing systematic crimes by decision of the Netanyahu government and its military brass, who commit crimes against journalists daily. Since the beginning of the aggression until this month, 153 journalists have been arrested.
Abu Bakr pointed out that the occupation army has destroyed more than 150 media offices and institutions since 2023. In the West Bank, the occupation has committed more than 2,000 attacks against Palestinian and international journalists, and the world continues to fail to stand by journalists. He emphasized that "all the words are not enough to reflect the role of journalists in Gaza, who sacrificed their lives and willingly continued their coverage under the bombardment of aircraft and tanks."
Wasil Abu Yousef, member of the PLO Executive Committee and coordinator of national forces and factions, highlighted that Gaza has been subjected to genocide for two years, and there are more than a thousand checkpoints cutting it apart in the West Bank. He argued that this war would not have continued without the silence of the international community. He added that the occupation in Gaza is trying to prevent the truth from being conveyed, and journalists are the guardians of truth who have always been at the forefront of reporting the occupation's crimes.
In a speech on behalf of the unions and federations, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Writers and Authors Union, poet Murad al-Sudani, stated that Gaza is experiencing a cultural and social genocide, in which journalists who convey the truth are being premeditatedly and deliberately assassinated. He added that more than 50 members of the union, including writers and authors, have been martyred amidst a disturbing and shameful silence. He called on all relevant institutions to stop the massacre and bloodshed in Gaza.
UN advisor Bassem Khalidi noted that journalists were victims of the war on Gaza, emphasizing that the United Nations has always affirmed that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state and that it will rise and develop toward statehood.