Since the war in Gaza began 22 months ago, no foreign journalists have been allowed by Israel to enter the Strip to report independently.
A few international correspondents have been permitted to visit Gaza briefly while embedded with units of the Israeli army. This has left war coverage to Palestinian journalists, who are under constant threat of personal targeting and face the same dire conditions as other civilians.
Sunday’s killing of Al-Jazeera news anchor Anas Al-Sharif, who was accused by Israel of being a Hamas fighter, along with four members of his team, brought the number of fatalities among Palestinian journalists in this conflict to 186, of whom 178 were Palestinian reporters killed by Israel, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
On Monday, Amnesty International Australia accused Israel of “war crimes under international humanitarian law” for the “deliberate targeting and killing of journalists”. In 2024, Sharif had received the organisation’s Human Rights Defender award “to honour his extraordinary resilience, bravery, and commitment to press freedom while working in the most dangerous conditions”.
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His father was killed, his house was bombed and he was under continual threat, Amnesty Australia said. He dedicated his award to all journalists working in Gaza.
Along with 90 per cent of the 2.3 million civilians in Gaza, Palestinian journalists have to endure Israeli bombings, drone strikes, shootings and displacement. Many live in tents and endure the daily scramble to secure water and food supplies. Filing stories under such conditions poses a serious challenge.
Many have fled destroyed or damaged homes and offices without computers, cameras and other essential equipment.
Last month, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and the BBC expressed serious concern “for our journalists in Gaza who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families”.
Television reporters appear on screen looking thin and haggard. There are daily electricity cuts, while fuel for generators is in short supply. The lack of petrol can affect the ability of journalists to travel around the strip to cover developments.
Israel is also now planning to seize control of Gaza City, where many journalists are based.
They must consider how to manage their work during displacement, along with their families who have been traumatised by constant warfare and repeated uprooting.
