Malaysian Islamic Council Raps Israel’s Killing of Journalists in Gaza
On Sunday, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed alongside four colleagues in a targeted Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City.
The attack on the tent located outside the main gate of Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital also killed Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. Freelance reporter Mohammed al-Khaldi was also among those reported killed.
Denouncing the attack on journalists, MAPIM said in a statement that it could not be considered collateral damage from war, but it was a deliberate assassination of the voices the world needed to hear.
“Nearly 270 journalists and media persons have been martyred in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Gaza war. This is the largest massacre of journalists in modern history, carried out with impunity and under the watchful eye of the so-called international community,” the statement read.
“The massacre of these journalists is part of an organized Israeli campaign to silence narratives and directly attack the truth. Despite the ban on international media from entering the Gaza Strip, Palestinian journalists are the last lifeline for the world to see these crimes, and Israel is deliberately cutting this lifeline.”
MAPIM called for an immediate and independent international investigation under the auspices of the United Nations into the targeted killings of journalists in Gaza, prosecution of Israeli leaders and holding them accountable for war crimes, including the killings of media personnel, in the International Criminal Court, protecting journalists in war zones with legally binding consequences for countries that target them, and lifting the blockade of Gaza and unrestricted access for humanitarian and media missions.
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“We say to the world’s media leaders and organizations that if you remain silent in the face of the massacre of journalists, you are confirming the death of truth. If the press in Gaza remains silent, the genocide will continue in total darkness.
“Israel’s crimes have gone beyond words. These journalists are now calling for urgent diplomatic and legal action to hold the perpetrators accountable and protect the remaining voices in Gaza.”
In a separate statement, MAPIM offered condolences on the martyrdom of Al Jazeera journalists, saying their courage in the face of danger, their commitment to speaking the truth from the heart of a besieged city, and their dedication to serving humanity will forever be remembered.
Praying for patience for the families of these martyrs, the statement reiterated the call on the international community to protect journalists in war zones and hold Israel accountable for this and other targeted killings.
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