The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the US media to publicly condemn recent killings and attacks on journalists in Gaza and the West Bank by Israeli forces.
“By staying silent while Palestinian journalists face killings, kidnappings, and attacks, American media professionals indirectly endorse the far-right Israeli government’s efforts to suppress those who expose its ongoing actions,” stated Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR’s National Communications Director, in a press release.
The statement follows reports that five journalists from the Al-Quds Today network were killed on Thursday when an Israeli airstrike targeted their broadcasting van near Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Additionally, a widely circulated video showed an Israeli vehicle attempting to run over a journalist in the occupied West Bank during live coverage of a raid in Tulkarem.
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“The Israeli government’s attacks on the press go unchallenged due to inadequate media reporting on these heinous actions,” said Hooper. This must end. Journalists need to accurately document Israel’s destruction, killings, and forced displacement, calling it for what it is: genocide.”
CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the US, has consistently condemned the targeting of journalists by Israeli forces. According to CAIR, over 130 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the escalation of violence in Gaza. The group also highlighted that Israel restricts access for foreign journalists in the region, often requiring military escorts.
Since the conflict intensified following an October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reportedly claimed over 45,400 lives, the majority of whom are women and children.
International bodies have responded to these events with significant legal actions. Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Furthermore, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its actions in Gaza.
