Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand
The Palestine Forum of New Zealand strongly condemns the recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed at least six Palestinian journalists, as they carried out their professional duty of documenting the ongoing assault on the Palestinian people.
The targeted attack on media workers near Al-Shifa Hospital follows a disturbing pattern of deliberate violence against Palestinian journalists, who have been systematically silenced for bearing witness to atrocities. According to international press freedom organisations, more than 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, making this one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers in modern history.
“Journalists are not combatants. They are the eyes and ears of humanity,” said a spokesperson for the Forum. “Killing journalists is not only a violation of international law, it is an assault on truth itself. By silencing Palestinian voices, Israel seeks to erase evidence of its crimes and deny the world an honest account of what is happening in Gaza.”
The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on:
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The New Zealand Government to urgently demand independent investigations into these killings and hold Israel accountable under international law.
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The international community to ensure full and unrestricted access for foreign and local media to Gaza, in line with the recent Media Freedom Coalition statement supported by New Zealand.
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All media outlets in Aotearoa, New Zealand, give prominence to the testimonies and reporting of Palestinian journalists, whose courage comes at the cost of their lives.
We stand in solidarity with the families of the martyred journalists and with all those in Gaza who continue to risk everything to make the truth known. Their voices will not be silenced.
