Targeted assassination of journalists by Zionist executioners and the need for the international community to respond.
According to the Shahab News Agency, Palestinian lawyer Zafer Saaideh, referring to the crime of assassination of Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih by the occupiers, said: Targeting Aslih is in line with the chain of crimes committed by the occupying forces against journalists in Gaza, which have so far killed hundreds of journalists since the start of the war. This is a planned action to silence the truth and free voices. Journalists are immune under international law because they are not engaged in combat activities, yet journalists are being targeted in a widespread and planned manner in Gaza.
Saaideh added: The noteworthy point is that Aslih was not on the battlefield, but was receiving treatment in the hospital, which is a compound crime. The reason for targeting this journalist was his activities and to disgrace the occupiers.
The lawyer emphasized: This is a war crime that must be addressed in international courts. The international community, more than ever, calls for the activation of the accountability mechanism and prevention of evasion of punishment by the occupiers and support for journalists in Gaza.
Saaida said: “We are facing a series of war crimes against journalists and hospitals. The continued global silence places the justice institutions in a moral and legal dilemma and encourages the occupiers to commit more crimes without restraint.”
A horrific and compound crime
“Salah Abdul-Ati,” head of the Palestinian International Human Rights Organization “Hashd,” also said: “The crime of assassinating ‘Aslih’ is a horrific and compound war crime that shows Israel’s disregard for humanitarian principles and international law. This crime represents a dangerous act of planned assassination of journalists and targeting media centers.”
He added: “Martyr Aslih had previously been repeatedly threatened with death, had his home bombed, and was prosecuted by the occupiers for exposing the crimes of the occupiers and reflecting the suffering of the Palestinians to the world. Attacking journalists inside hospitals is a violation of international law and a war crime.”
He called for immediate action by the international community and the United Nations to support journalists and activate legal measures to hold the perpetrators of the crimes accountable.
Abdul-Ati also called on the International Union of Journalists and media institutions to take immediate steps to suspend the Zionist regime’s membership in international unions, express solidarity with Palestinian journalists, and pressure countries and international institutions to shoulder their responsibility in supporting Palestinian journalists.
The international community should not be satisfied with mere condemnation
“Mohammed Yassin,” director of the Palestinian Journalists Association, also condemned the crime of assassination of Aslih, calling it a heinous crime that requires a global response and immediate action in this regard.
He added: “This assassination was targeted and not accidental, especially since this journalist had been targeted before. This is a full-fledged crime for which the occupiers must pay the price.”
Yassin, while emphasizing the steadfastness of Palestinian journalists, said: “These measures will not undermine the determination of brave and courageous Palestinian journalists.” The goal of the occupiers is to prevent the truth and crimes committed against the Palestinians from being reported in the media. The international community should take into account international laws and treaties on the protection of journalists and not be satisfied with condemnation. The images that journalists send from Gaza expose Israel’s claims about respecting human rights.