PNN – The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied territories has warned of the increasing trend of killings of journalists in Palestine, stating that 211 journalists have been killed in the region since the start of the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Anadolu Agency, the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied territories issued a statement on Friday, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, stating that at least 211 journalists, including 28 women, have been killed in the Israeli regime’s attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023. According to UNESCO, 47 of them died while on duty, and 49 journalists are reportedly currently in the regime’s detention centers.
The organization stressed that there are serious indications that the Israeli army has been deliberately targeting journalists, an act that, if proven, could constitute a war crime. Some of the detained journalists have also spoken of torture, sexual harassment and humiliation they experienced during interrogation.
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The United Nations has criticized the Israeli regime’s continued blocking of foreign journalists from entering Gaza, stressing that the only remaining Palestinian journalists in the region are themselves victims of the war. The organization also warned of pressure and repression of the media in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The United Nations, while condemning these actions, called for an immediate end to the killings, arrests, and intimidation of journalists, and emphasized that those responsible for these actions must be held accountable by international institutions and third-party governments.
According to the latest statistics, more than 52,400 Palestinians have been martyred during the Israeli regime’s attacks on Gaza, most of whom are women and children. The International Criminal Court also issued an arrest warrant last November for the Israeli Prime Minister and the then Minister of War of the regime on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza.