Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory / Middle East & North Africa

  

Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has taken an unprecedented toll on Gazan journalists since Israel declared war on Hamas following its attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. As of September 30, 2024, CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed at least 116 journalists and media workers were among the more than 42,000 killed since the war began, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ…

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Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting the Israel-Gaza war

Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, journalists and media across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging.   In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while carrying…

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Arrests of Palestinian journalists since start of Israel-Gaza war

Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, an unprecedented number of journalists and media workers have been arrested — often without charge — in what they and their attorneys say is retaliation for their journalism and commentary. As of October 3, 2024, CPJ has documented a total of 69 arrests of journalists in the Palestinian…

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Israeli forces raid Al Jazeera’s West Bank office, issue 45 day ban on its journalism

Beirut, September 22, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Israeli authorities to stop harassing and obstructing Al Jazeera after armed Israeli forces raided the Qatari broadcaster’s office in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah during a live broadcast early Sunday morning, ordered its closure for 45 days, and forced its staff…

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Issam Abdallah's aunt

CPJ joins call for UN commission to investigate Israel murder of journalist Issam Abdallah

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 10 press freedom and human rights organizations in a letter to the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel to investigate and help provide accountability for the murder of Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed by Israeli…

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CPJ, others urge EU to act against Israel’s unprecedented journalist killings, press freedom violations

The Committee to Protect Journalists and 59 partners on Thursday, August 22, wrote to EU High Representative Josep Borrell, European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, and EU member state foreign ministries asking that the EU “take action against the Israeli authorities’ unprecedented killing of journalists and other violations of media freedom.” The letter condemns widespread and…

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Palestinians inspect the vehicle in which Al Jazeera reporter Ismail Al Ghoul and camera operator Rami Al Refee were killed in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City on July 31, 2024. Israel alleges that Al Ghoul was a Hamas member who took part in the October 2023 raid that started the Israel-Gaza war. (Photo: Reuters/Ayman Al Hassi)

CPJ denounces Israel’s smearing of killed Palestinian journalists with unsubstantiated ‘terrorist’ labels

The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israel to stop making unproven claims that journalists slain by its forces are terrorists or engaging in militant activity, and demands international, swift, and independent investigations into these killings. “Even before the start of the Israel-Gaza war, CPJ had documented Israel’s pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists…

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CPJ concerned about safety of Al Jazeera Gaza reporter Anas Al Sharif after IDF comments

The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the safety of Al Jazeera Arabic northern Gaza correspondent Anas Al Sharif after an Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson accused him of “presenting a lie” in his coverage of Israel’s August 10 airstrike that killed dozens of Gazans in a school building housing Palestinians displaced by the…

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A screenshot of a news segment. Images include the struck car of the journalists, the two journalists in blue press vests, and a third reporter speaking live. Text on screen reads "Al Jazeera Journalists Killed In Gaza" and "Ismail Al Ghoul and Rami Al Refee Targeted In Strike."

Al Jazeera journalists Ismail Al Ghoul and Rami Al Refee killed in Gaza

The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israel to explain the killing of Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul and camera operator Rami Al Refee in an Israeli airstrike west of Gaza City on Wednesday. “CPJ is dismayed by the news that Al Jazeera TV reporter Ismail Al Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al Refee…

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U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. The two are set to meet again on July 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C., and CPJ and other rights groups are urging the President and other lawmakers to push Netanyahu to improve press freedom and address rights abuses against journalists. (Photo: AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

CPJ, partners call on Biden to raise press freedom issues with Netanyahu

The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine other rights groups sent a letter Monday calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on journalist killings and media access in Gaza.  The letter urged Biden to ensure that Netanyahu takes steps to facilitate press freedom and journalist safety in Israel and…

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