iNAAJA denounces Israeli actions against journalists in Gaza

The International Association or Arab Journalists today (Monday May 14, 2018) denounced the apparent targeting of journalists by Israeli military snipers.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 22 journalists covering the protests by Palestinians in Gaza against Israel’s discriminatory policies, have been serious wounded by Israeli military sniper fire. In two cases, the journalists have died.

Israel has a history of targeting journalists in a policy clearly intended to suppress the dissemination of information that would expose Israel’s government policies which deny rights to Palestinian civilians.

Seven of the journalists were injured by Israeli military sniper fire today during Palestinian protests against the decision by the Trump administration to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem. All of the journalists were wearing clothing easily identifying them as working news media.

The CPJ identified the injured journalists as:

Omar Hamdan, a cameraperson for the state-owned Algerian Television, was hit in his left leg by a live round while covering protests east of Gaza City, according to news reports, the PJS, reports shared on social media by news outlets, and local journalists Ramadan and Saada.

Mohammed Abu Dahrouj, a cameraperson for the media production company Zain Media, was hit in his right leg by a live round while covering protests east of Gaza City, according to reports shared on social media by news outlets, the PJS, Ramadan, and Saada.

Abdullah al-Shorbagi, a reporter for the local Hamas-affiliated Khan Younis Media Network, was hit in the left foot by a live round while covering protests east of Khan Younis, according to his employer, the PJS, reports shared by local journalists and news outlets on social media, Ramadan, and Saada.

Farhan Hashem Abu Hadayd, a reporter for the local news website Safad Press, was hit in his left leg by a live round while covering protests east of Rafah, according to news reports, the PJS, reports and pictures shared by media outlets, and local human rights activist Mohammed Abdullah.

Yasser Qudeih, a freelance photographer for the Hamas-affiliated daily Palestine, was hit in his abdomen by a live round while covering protests east of Gaza City, according to reports shared on Facebook by news outlets, Ramadan, and Saada. He is currently under observation in the intensive care unit at the European Hospital in Gaza, according to Saada.

Nihad Fuad, a reporter for the community radio station Forsan al-Erada, was hit in the head by a live round while covering protests in the southern Gazan city of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, according to Facebook reports by media outlets, Ramadan, and Saada. He has been transferred for treatment to the European Hospital in Gaza, according to Saada.

Wael Dahdouh, a reporter for the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, was injured in the right hand by gunfire while covering protests east of Gaza City, according to his employer, news reports, reports on social media, Ramadan, and Saada.

The Board of iNAAJA calls on journalism associations around the world to publicly decry the injuring of journalisms in the Gaza Strip and to protest Israel’s actions.

iNAAJA calls on human rights organizations to spotlight Israel’s violence against Journalists and demand that they stop.

iNAAJA calls on Israel to end its violence and human rights violations against working journalists, Arab, Palestinian and non-Arab covering the Arab-Israeli conflict and working in the Gaza Strip, the Occupied West Bank and in Occupied Jerusalem.