The Digest:
A UN human rights expert has issued a stark condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, accusing it of intentionally killing journalists to conceal evidence of genocide. Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, stated that the war has become the deadliest conflict for media workers in history.
Key Points:
- At least 252 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
- This death toll surpasses the combined journalist fatalities from both World Wars, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan.
- Khan alleged that journalists are being “deliberately picked out and killed” to prevent exposure of atrocities.
- Israel has blocked all international media access to Gaza, creating an unprecedented information blackout.
- The expert condemned Israeli “smear campaigns” that label journalists killed as “terrorists” to delegitimize their work.
- By comparison, 14 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
- Khan called for urgent international action to “stop Israel before all journalists in Gaza are silenced.”
Sources: Vanguard
