Journalists and media to honour colleagues killed in Gaza by Israel

As the Israeli war of genocide on Gaza entered its 114th day, Makhanda journalists, academics, journalism students and members of civil society say they appalled by killing of journalist in Gaza by Israel.

The group will be holding a vigil in solidarity with journalists killed by Israel in Gaza at the Drostdy Arch on the campus of Rhodes University on Sunday at 6 pm.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela; Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church; members of the Islamic and the Jewish faiths; journalists; students leaders; and  other stakeholders who support the push for peace in Gaza are expected to join the gathering.

Journalists across SA will gather on Sunday at 6pm to hold a vigil for our colleagues killed in #Gaza. Over 120 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army since its onslaught in Gaza #Vigil #Journaslists #Isreal @CPJAfrica @SAEditorsForum #JournalismIsNotaCrime pic.twitter.com/Nba8ytW8mC

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) January 28, 2024

Gaza journalists

There will also be vigils held at other locations including Mary Fitgerald Square in Johannesburg, UKZN’s Howard Campus in Durban and St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town starting at 6pm.

The group said they are concerned by the killing of  journalists by Israel.

“In just a few months, over 100 journalists have been killed in Israeli bombings on Gaza. They were identifiable as non-combatants; many were said to have been wearing bulletproof vests marked PRESS or MEDIA in large letters. But this offered no protection for media workers because it did not deter the Israeli war machine from taking them out in cold blood.

“The Palestinian Journalist’s Syndicate believes Israel is deliberately targeting journalists and in particular Palestinian journalists. Furthermore, that the family members of these journalists are also targeted,” the group said.

ALSO READ: Amnesty International says Israel must comply with ICJ order to prevent genocide in Gaza

Journalism is not a crime

Al Jazeera’s Bureau Chief in Gaza, the veteran journalist Wael Dahdouh, was informed while reporting live on air that his wife, son, daughter and grandson had been killed. About two months later Dahdouh’s adult son, also a journalist, was killed.

Dahdouh himself was fired upon by an Israeli drone just days ago and injured, with his cameraman colleague dying in the attack. They were reporting on the Israeli bombing of a school.

The group said journalists play a critical role in times of conflict in monitoring the impact of attacks on civilians.

“The world is dependent on Palestinian journalists for updates on what is happening in Gaza because international reporters are unable to access the area. Rather than targeting journalists in Gaza, Israel has the responsibility to protect them.

“Their failure to do so is seriously compromising the critical work that these courageous journalists are doing in exposing grave human rights violations in Gaza,” the group said.

Journalists killed in Gaza

The number of journalists killed by the Israeli army since the beginning of its onslaught in Gaza since October 7 has risen to 120, the Gaza media office announced on Saturday evening.

“The number of journalists killed since the start of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 120, after our colleague Iyad Al-Rawwagh, a broadcaster and presenter at Al-Aqsa Voice radio station, was killed by Israeli treachery in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip,” said the office.

Israel jailing journalists

Meanwhile, Israel has emerged as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists following the October 7 start of the war, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 prison census has found

According to the census, Israel ranked sixth – tied with Iran – behind China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, and Vietnam, respectively.

Overall, CPJ documented 320 journalists behind bars on the census date of December 1, 2023.

CPJ said the number was the second-highest recorded since the census began in 1992 – a disturbing barometer of entrenched authoritarianism and the vitriol of governments determined to smother independent voices.

ALSO READ: At least 50 journalists killed since Israel’s bombing of Gaza – CPJ