On this World Press Freedom Day, we pause to honour journalists and media workers across the globe who risk their safety to report truth and amplify the voices of the oppressed. Nowhere is this commitment more courageous, or more perilous, than in occupied Palestine.
For decades, Palestinian journalists have operated under constant threat — targeted, detained, censored, and even killed for doing their jobs. In Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, Palestinian reporters document human rights violations, military assaults, home demolitions, and the daily realities of life under occupation, often at great personal risk.
In the latest war on Gaza, media offices have been bombed, journalists and their families deliberately targeted, and communication blackouts imposed to silence Palestinian narratives. As of May 2025, over 140 journalists have been killed in Gaza alone since October 2023, marking one of the deadliest periods for media professionals in recent history. Many others face arbitrary arrest, harassment at checkpoints, equipment confiscation, and restrictions on movement.
Despite these dangers, Palestinian journalists persist — their cameras, pens, and microphones bearing witness to what much of the world might otherwise never see. From the frontline photographers in Gaza to the independent media outlets in the diaspora, their work ensures that Palestinian stories remain in public view.
On this day, we also remember iconic voices like Shireen Abu Akleh, the veteran Al Jazeera journalist killed by Israeli forces in May 2022 while reporting in Jenin. Her legacy is carried by the next generation of Palestinian journalists, who continue to speak truth to power in her name.
Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of justice. In Palestine, this freedom is under siege. And yet, the resilience of Palestinian media workers is a testament to the enduring power of truth.
Today, we say:
We see you. We hear you. We stand with you.
We demand protection for journalists in Palestine.
We affirm the right of Palestinians to tell their own story.
Press freedom is not a privilege — it is a right. And in Palestine, that right remains worth fighting for.
Maher Nazzal
Palestine Forum of New Zealand
