War on Truth: Targeting Journalists in Gaza as a Strategy to Conceal Crimes

Palyouth  

The systematic targeting of journalists by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) represents a calculated and heinous assault on the pillars of truth, accountability, and human dignity. Over the past 14 months, the state of Israel's ongoing genocidal onslaught in Gaza has deliberately extinguished the lives of 196 journalists, including 20 women—an indisputable campaign to silence those whose sacred duty is to expose atrocities and document war crimes. The recent murders of journalists Ahmed Bakr Al-Louh, Mohamed Ba’lousha, and Eman Al-Shanti—each targeted with lethal precision—epitomizes the state of Israel’s orchestrated efforts to obliterate any record of its war crimes against the Palestinian people.  

Dimitri Diliani, spokesperson for the Fateh Reformist Democratic Faction, decried these attacks as both a flagrant breach of international law and a chilling testament to Israel’s genocidal ambitions:  
"The state of Israel’s calculated targeting of journalists is a systematic act of silencing—an endeavor to obliterate accountability, erase evidence of its genocidal policies in Gaza, and deny our people the right to their narrative. This is a continuation of the erasure campaign that began with the Nakba of 1948."

Diliani emphasized that the precision targeting of journalists reveals an unambiguous pattern of deliberate intent. “The Israeli war machine has shown absolute disregard for press insignia and international conventions. Journalist Ahmed Bakr Al-Louh, visibly clad in his PRESS vest, was ruthlessly killed on December 15, 2024, while documenting rescue operations at Al-Nuseirat refugee camp. Days earlier, Mohamed Ba’lousha and broadcaster Eman Al-Shanti, along with her children, fell victim to Israeli airstrikes that targeted their homes. Ninety-seven percent of journalists killed in Gaza have perished under Israeli warplanes, drone strikes, or sniper fire. This is deliberate targeting.”  

He further underscored the legal ramifications of these crimes, asserting: “The state of Israel’s crimes against journalists are a blatant violation of Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which guarantees civilian protection to journalists in conflict zones. Moreover, as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the state of Israel has systematically breached its obligations under Article 6, which prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life. Each journalist’s death at the hands of Israeli forces is an unequivocal war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

The spokesperson highlighted that Israel’s ongoing denial of entry to international media into Gaza amplifies its strategy of suppression and concealment: “This is a war against documentation—a war against truth itself. By deliberately targeting journalists and denying access to international press, the state of Israel seeks to erase our suffering from the global consciousness and entrench its genocidal policies. This is an extension of the Nakba, a strategy aimed at silencing our history and eradicating our existence.”

The ramifications of these targeted killings transcend Gaza’s borders. Diliani described the attack on journalists as “a direct assault on global press freedom, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ICCPR. By eliminating those who bear witness, the state of Israel not only desecrates Palestinian voices but undermines humanity’s collective right to truth and free expression.”

In his concluding remarks, Diliani issued a resounding call for accountability: “The state of Israel’s war on journalism is a calculated strategy to rewrite history, erasing our people’s truth and narrative. Justice demands unwavering documentation and accountability. Without truth, there can be no justice; and without justice, the suffering of the Palestinian people will continue unchecked. The international community must act decisively to hold the state of Israel accountable for these war crimes, for silence in the face of such crimes is complicity.”

PALYOUTH N.H