The Journalist Support Committee (JSC) condemns the Israeli reconnaissance aircraft targeting a car transporting Palestinian journalists with a missile during their news coverage in the Bedouin village in the northern Gaza Strip, which resulted in shrapnel moderate and simple wounds. Those wounded are the photojournalists: Mustapha Hassuna and Mohammad Al-Aloul (Ettisal Agency),  Dawood Abu al-Kass (from PalestineToday Agency) and Mahmoud Al-Khudri

As the Palestine Office Coordinator at the Committee indicated that the injured were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, Abu Al-Kass confirmed, through a call with JSC, that their car was marked by PRESS badge when they were targeted while returning from covering the bombing of the Bedouin village. He also stated that their protective jackets protected them from possible severe injuries which could have almost killed them.

The Committee, while renewing its condemnation of targeting journalists and the media during military operations in Palestine, which is a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law (classifying them as civilian assets and criminalizing attacks and assaults on them), demands International Organizations and Human Rights Councils, especially UNESCO and IFJ, to pressure on Israeli authorities to stop violations against media crew and journalists in Palestine, to secure the necessary protection for them due to their prominent and sensitive role in the emergency conditions in the region, documenting events and preserving the right of all individuals to access information from its sources, and to protect the sacred rights to freedom of expression and speech and the right to freedom of press.

It also calls on the concerned bodies, especially the International Criminal Court and UNESCO, to conduct prompt and transparent investigations to uncover the aggressors involved in attacks on journalists and impose the necessary penalties against them, in accordance with the principle of ending impunity for crimes against journalists.

Journalists Support Committee - Switzerland

Thursday, 13th of May, 2021