Israel’s War on Journalists: A Call for Global Media Solidarity

As Israeli occupation forces continue their relentless assault on Gaza, the targeting of journalists has reached unprecedented levels. The assassination of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues marks yet another dark chapter in the systematic silencing of free press.

Despite the enormity of these crimes, journalists’ unions and journalists around the world remain silent, as if Palestinian blood doesn’t even merit a statement of condemnation. This silence raises a disturbing question: Has the blood of Palestinian journalists been wasted?

Anas Al-Sharif was not the first journalist to fall, and tragically, he will not be the last. Israel’s war machine continues to target truth-tellers — those who wield pens and cameras instead of weapons. Yet, no protest has been organized, no official statement issued, not even a tweet of solidarity from the institutions meant to protect journalists.

Ironically, the most honest voice has come from within Israel itself. In a scathing article published by Haaretz, renowned Israeli journalist Gideon Levy condemned his country’s actions, stating unequivocally: “Those who kill journalists in bulk and in cold blood cannot be trusted.”

Levy’s remarks followed the targeted killing of Al-Sharif, who died in a direct strike on a press tent near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Israel claimed he was a Hamas operative — a claim made without evidence. Most Israeli media outlets either ignored the incident or parroted the army’s narrative without scrutiny.

Levy mocked the official justification, asking: “Even if some believe these claims, what about the other journalists killed with him? Were they deputy cell leaders?”

His critique extended to the broader media blackout, warning that a state which bans free coverage of war cannot be trusted. He cited shocking statistics:

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): 186 journalists killed

• B’Tselem (Israeli human rights organization): 263 journalists killed

Levy even warned that Israeli journalists themselves may one day become targets of the same violence.

In his final testament, Anas Al-Sharif wrote: “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice… I gave everything I had to be a support and a voice for my people.”

These are not just the words of a fallen journalist — they are a plea for justice, a call to conscience, and a demand for accountability.

The silence of global journalist unions and media institutions is no longer neutrality — it is complicity. The time has come to break this silence. History will not forgive, and professional integrity cannot be compromised.

Israel’s war on journalists is not just a violation of human rights — it is an assault on truth itself.