Press Intimidation In Gaza Strip, Israel Criticized By International Organizations

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Israeli government has reportedly put pressure on the press in the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks. This has drawn criticism from an international non-governmental organization focused on protecting press freedom around the world, Reporters Without Borders (RSP).

RSP condemned Israel's actions and said media in the Gaza Strip were suppressed in various ways. They even called the pressure including killing or injuring journalists, destroying media buildings, limiting internet access, and closing Al Jazeera's office.

The RSF said the Israeli government was trying to impose a total closure of media in Gaza as part of a blockade in the enclave, which has had a negative impact on local journalists and their families.

Ten journalists, including eight people in Gaza, died while covering under Israeli airstrikes. Their deaths highlight the risks faced by media personnel in conflict coverage, RSF said in a statement.

Palestinian journalists were killed in their homes as a result of Israeli airstrikes and bombings. MohammadbatyOKe, manager of the television channel Palestine Today, was the last victim to be killed in an attack targeting a house on October 17.

"We condemn the closure of Israel's media," said the RSP statement, as quoted by Anadolu via Antara, Saturday, October 21.

The statement refers to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate which said about 50 media in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since the start of the conflict on October 7.

Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip has hampered operations mostly from 24 radio stations in the region. Radio stations were disrupted due to airstrikes, bombings, and fuel shortages.

This raised concerns that the Al Jazeera office in Israel would be closed and its equipment seized. The decision is seen as censorship, following regulatory approvals allowing the shutdown of television channels deemed a threat to state security by the Israeli government.

RSF Secretary General Christophe Deloire said it was important for journalists to work professionally to produce news that is free of interest and trustworthy.

He condemned Israel's attempts to limit press freedom, and stressed that journalism is an "important tool" to counter the spread of misinformation, especially in the region.

RSF reports Israel has arrested a journalist in the occupied West Bank for covering the conflict in Gaza, threatening a reporter during a live broadcast of Jerusalem, and detaining three BBC correspondents in Tel Aviv.