Palestinian journalists’ Syndicate documents 53 Israeli violations against journalists in March

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate said on Tuesday that Israel committed 53 violations against its members during March, including two martyrs.

The Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee said in a statement that it had “documented a total of 53 crimes and violations” against Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces. These included two deaths, 12 cases of detention or prevention from covering events, eight incidents of direct targeting with tear gas and stun grenades, and eight cases of physical assault.

The committee also recorded seven cases of confiscation or destruction of journalistic equipment, six arrests, four raids on journalists’ homes, two instances of verbal threats, and two cases of interrogation.

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It said the targeting of Palestinian journalists, including killing, arrest and physical assault, reflects “an escalating pattern of serious violations that amount to grave crimes”.

The committee called on the international community, the United Nations, the International Federation of Journalists, and all human rights and media organisations to take “immediate and practical steps” to ensure the protection of Palestinian journalists, launch independent international investigations, and hold those responsible accountable, in order to end what it described as a policy of impunity.

According to data published on the Syndicate’s website, 260 journalists have been killed and 550 others injured since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023. It added that 39 journalists remain in detention and 150 media institutions have been destroyed.

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