The Qatari Press Center organized a special seminar titled "Journalists in Gaza... Martyrs and Witnesses," as part of the Press Council sessions, attended by a large number of journalists, media professionals, and those interested in media and Palestinian affairs.

 

The session was held in the Abdullah bin Hussein Al-Nama Hall at the Center’s headquarters, within the framework of commemorating World Press Freedom Day. Palestinian journalist Tamer Al-Mashhal, known for his investigative reports, spoke about the reality of journalistic work in Gaza and the conditions journalists live under amid occupation and repeated wars.

 

At the beginning, media figure Abdullah Al-Muslimani, who chaired the session, confirmed that the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza during the ongoing aggression since October 7 has reached 216 journalists. He emphasized that this World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to remind governments of the necessity to fulfill their commitments toward press freedom.

For his part, Mr. Saad bin Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, Chairman of the Qatari Press Center Board, praised the sacrifices made by many journalists and their keenness to cover events and deliver the free word, elevating journalistic work despite its difficult paths. He noted the sacrifices of Gaza’s journalists, which reflect their love and passion first for their homeland, then for their cause.

 

Gaza: A Killing Field for Journalists

Journalist Tamer Al-Mashhal confirmed that what is happening in Gaza is a redefinition of the concept of press freedom, journalists, professional ethics, and standards. He pointed out that what has been happening in Gaza for more than 18 months is a massacre: 216 Palestinian journalists have been killed, 409 others wounded, and 48 journalists arrested by the Israeli occupation whose conditions remain unknown except for some information leaking from released prisoners.

Al-Mashhal spoke of physical and psychological torture scenes and assassination attempts inside Israeli prisons, confirming that more than 21 Palestinian journalistic activists and social media influencers have also been assassinated during this war.

He added that Israeli forces annihilated 28 families of journalists and directly targeted and completely destroyed 44 journalists’ homes.

Regarding media institutions, Al-Mashhal confirmed that 23 digital institutions, 11 radio stations, 16 satellite TV offices, and 27 other media institutions were destroyed in Gaza.

 

Systematic Assassination

Al-Mashhal pointed out that since the beginning of the war, the occupation has compiled many assassination lists, including journalists, indicating that targeting journalists is not random but systematic, with assassinations carried out by name.

He added that Al Jazeera Network, a major international media institution, has paid the heaviest toll among international crews, with journalists killed in targeted assassinations.

Regarding the assassination of journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, Al-Mashhal explained that Al-Ghoul was working live for six continuous hours covering from Al-Shati refugee camp, and the Israeli occupation shelled the building next to him to force journalists to flee. When they fled, the occupation targeted Al-Ghoul’s car minutes after he moved and assassinated him by shelling the vehicle.

He stressed that the operation was methodical in every detail, describing the scene as tragic and unprecedented in modern history, noting that even world wars did not witness such massacres against journalists.

 

Cemetery of Journalists

Regarding press freedom in Gaza, Al-Mashhal affirmed that the world faces a difficult and real test. Journalists in Gaza sleep in tents or on roads, and it is difficult for them to find food and water amid continuous incitement and targeting. Every journalist wonders who will be next to be targeted. Despite these unprecedented challenges, coverage continues.

 

He questioned the celebration of press freedom and the double standards amid what is happening in Gaza, saying Israel has pursued a policy of preventing any foreign journalist from reaching Gaza — a strategy not seen in any other conflict area, aiming to turn Gaza into a cemetery for journalists.

 

Targeting Al Jazeera

Al-Mashhal spoke about Israeli forces shooting all surveillance cameras installed in front of Al Jazeera’s office in central Gaza, preventing any footage from coming out. He praised the heroic work of journalists in the field, continuing coverage despite targeting, incitement, and threats.

He confirmed that occupation officers contact journalists to threaten them, citing the case of journalist Anas Al-Sharif covering northern Gaza, who was told his location was known and asked to leave or face targeting. Days later, his home was targeted, and his father was martyred.

He explained that incitement and targeting Al Jazeera is because its journalists remained on the ground covering all events.

 

Moral Assassination

Al-Mashhal said the Israeli occupation army, amid its ongoing incitement campaign against Gaza’s journalists, labeled them “Tamer Al-Mashhal’s youth” because he himself covered events in Gaza. This, he said, amounts to moral assassination.

He recalled the targeting of colleagues Wael Al-Dahdouh, Samer Abu Duqa, Ahmad Al-Louh, Husam Shabbat, and their families, emphasizing that assassination is a crime, but the greater crime is justifying assassination.

He added that the world witnesses complex crimes justifying the killings of journalists not affiliated with armed groups, and that the occupation’s fabrications reflect incitement and justification for its ongoing crimes.

Al-Mashhal confirmed that Gaza’s journalists are heroes who redefined journalism because the occupation’s power could not prevent the image, information, and truth from being revealed. He asked how not, when these journalists are sons of the land and rightful owners aspiring for freedom and professionalism, always victorious despite the occupation’s brutality and crimes.

 

Double Standards

Al-Mashhal discussed the Israeli occupation spokesman’s claims during his entry to Al-Shifa Hospital, noting that the exposure of the occupation’s farce on social media came from foreign journalists accompanying Israeli forces who confirmed detention and torture of doctors. Yet, no video footage was filmed.

In contrast, he cited an Israeli journalist who was responsible for detonating a residential block in southern Lebanon, highlighting the double standards and the adoption of occupation narratives in incitement against journalists, which constitutes a crime.

 

Protection of Journalists

Regarding UN protection of journalists, Al-Mashhal lamented that the UN failed to protect people to be able to protect Gaza’s journalists, emphasizing that Gaza is a huge wound with people killed in tents live on air, without any movement. He questioned what UN and rights organizations really mean.

 

Differences from Previous Wars

Al-Mashhal said that targeting journalists, humans, and infrastructure did not start on October 7 but has been ongoing since the occupation. However, this war is more revealing and exposing, with people in Gaza lacking food and water for weeks. Children starve before adults, and the elderly are killed in front of tents. He asserted this is inhumane, and the war is a test of conscience, humanity, ethics, journalism, and press freedom.

 

Erasing Evidence

On the role of human rights organizations in Gaza, Al-Mashhal emphasized that assassinations don’t lapse over time. Before the Gaza aggression, he conducted an investigation titled "Killing the Evidence" on the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Aqleh.

He pointed out that many journalists killed on camera since 2003, including Palestinians and foreigners working for international institutions, have had their files erased — evidence was killed. Then, financial settlements were made, with Israel betting on time. He stressed these crimes will not lapse in God’s courts and declared that journalism and rightful owners will prevail.

 

Digital Exclusion

On digital exclusion and algorithm manipulation against Gaza’s journalists, Al-Mashhal said Gaza faces a battle over narrative and Palestinian storytelling. He referenced an Al Jazeera investigation called "The Closed Space," conducted over a year in 2023, exploring how Palestinian narratives are suppressed.

The team created two Facebook pages: one in Arabic named "Palestinian Gathering" with significant Palestinian interaction, and another in Hebrew called "Land of the Ancestors," which appeared Israeli and also gained interaction. The Palestinian page was penalized and deleted after three months, while the Israeli page was promoted.

When confronted, Facebook management avoided answering about professionalism. Al-Mashhal revealed that some controversial individuals linked to Israeli occupation manage the platform’s content.

 

Palestine Present on Al Jazeera

Answering a question about Arab press abandoning Palestine and relying on Al Jazeera, Al-Mashhal affirmed that the Arab pulse never forgets Palestine and blamed international institutions.

He stated that the pulse of the people and the free world supports Palestine. Al-Jazeera has done a tremendous job in conveying truth despite great sacrifices.

He added that Al-Jazeera was not new to covering developments in occupied Palestinian territories, as its Palestine office is the largest, and it distinguished itself professionally by its broad, continuous, and direct coverage of events in Palestine and the brutal aggression on Gaza.