55 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since 2000: NGO

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces have killed 55 Palestinian journalists since 2000, according to a local journalists’ syndicate.

“Fifty-five reporters have been killed either by Israeli fire or bombardment since 2000,” Naser Abu Baker, head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), told a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He added that two journalists were killed by Israeli forces in 2022, including Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Abu Akleh, 51, a Palestinian-American journalist, was killed on May 11, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said she was shot in the head while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli army, however, said the reporter was likely killed by “wrong” gunfire from an Israeli soldier.

Several leading media agencies, including Al Jazeera, CNN, Associated Press, Washington Post, and the New York Times, conducted their own investigations, which all came to an end that Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli bullet.

Abu Baker said the highest number of Israeli attacks against Palestinian journalists were reported in Jerusalem.

“These assaults aim to prevent journalists from conveying the truth about what Islamic and Christian holy sites are exposed to,” he added.

Abu Baker said the PJS is taking steps to take the Israeli attacks against journalists to the International Criminal Court. He did not provide further details.

Mohammad al-Lahham, head of the PJS’s Freedoms Committee, said 40 Palestinian journalists were detained by Israeli forces last year, 20 of whom are still in prison.

There was no comment from the Israeli authorities on the report.

According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces killed 224 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza in 2022.