For nearly two years, Israel has been systematically targeting and killing Palestinian journalists in Gaza. On Sunday night, the Israeli military killed six journalists who had been sheltering in a tent housing media workers in Gaza City, including 28-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif.
The killing of Palestinian journalists by Israel is not just a matter of individual incidents, but a systematic pattern of violence that has resulted in at least 184 Palestinians killed since October 2023. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in the US civil war, both world wars, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, and the US war in Afghanistan combined.
The hypocrisy of Western media outlets and governments is starkly evident in their silence on this issue. While they publicly condemn the targeting of journalists by Russia, China, and Iran, they remain largely silent on Israel’s actions. The CPJ has criticized many Western news organizations for failing to stand up for Palestinian journalists, despite having a responsibility to protect them under international law.
The killing of Anas al-Sharif is just the latest example of this hypocrisy. In November 2023, Israeli military officials threatened him with expulsion from Gaza if he continued to report on the situation. A month later, his 90-year-old father was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has repeatedly accused Al Jazeera journalists of being “terrorists” without providing credible evidence.
The Israeli military’s actions are a result of its “well-worn playbook” of smearing Palestinian journalists and accusing them of being terrorists. The CPJ is “gravely worried” about the safety of journalists like Anas al-Sharif, who have been targeted for their reporting.
The lack of coverage from Western media outlets on this issue is puzzling, especially when compared to the high profile cases of foreign journalists like Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested and accused of espionage by Russia. The CPJ has criticized many Western news organizations for failing to stand up for Palestinian journalists, despite having a responsibility to protect them under international law.
The Israeli government’s refusal to allow foreign reporters into Gaza is also a significant issue. While it may seem like an admirable campaign to allow more journalists to report on the situation, it has been framed in a way that perpetuates the notion that Western journalists are the sole arbiters of truth. This ignores the professionalism and courage of hundreds of Palestinian journalists who have given their lives covering Israel’s assault on Gaza.
In reality, many foreign reporters rely heavily on Palestinian journalists, translators, and other “fixers” to get their stories. By not allowing more journalists into Gaza, Western media outlets are perpetuating a system that relies on the unseen work of local journalists. This means that Palestinian journalists like Anas al-Sharif have been able to tell their own people’s story directly to the world, while many of their western colleagues and international journalistic institutions remain silent.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/16/israel-gaza-war-journalists