Press freedom groups demand Israel authorizes medical evacuation of 2 Al Jazeera journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, and Reporters Without Borders urgently called on the Israeli military office responsible for humanitarian coordination, COGAT, to authorize the evacuation of two critically wounded journalists who require immediate, lifesaving medical treatment.

The letter, a rare public plea, follows frustrated diplomatic efforts and direct appeals to COGAT by the three press freedom organizations since the journalists — Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Al Wahidi, camera operators for Al Jazeera — sustained severe injuries while working in Gaza last week.

“The Israeli military’s duty under international humanitarian law is to protect civilians, including journalists, and to ensure the wounded receive timely medical assistance,” the organizations wrote.

This month, CPJ released a Special Report showing the lack of justice for journalists targeted by Israel, despite strong evidence of war crimes. One year into the Israel-Gaza war, 128 journalists have been killed, 126 of them by Israeli fire.

Read the full report and more CPJ coverage of the Israel-Gaza war