Latest news with #IsmailAl-Ghoul
Egypt Independent
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
2024 was the deadliest year for journalists in over three decades. Nearly 70% were killed by Israel, report says
CNN — Last year was the deadliest for journalists in more than three decades, with the majority killed in the Middle East, according to a report released Wednesday by the Last year was the deadliest for journalists in more than three decades, with the majority killed in the Middle East, according to a report released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, the most recorded since the CPJ began collecting data three decades ago. Nearly 70% of those deaths were at the hands of the Israeli military in Gaza and Lebanon, the report said, with 82 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces denied targeting media workers, saying it 'takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists.' 'Remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks,' it said in a lengthy statement to CNN, defending its operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Last year's death toll exceeded the previous record in 2007, when 113 journalists were killed, almost half of them amid the US-led war in Iraq. 'The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists in conflict zones, but it is far from the only place journalists are in danger,' the committee's CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. It accused Israel of being 'slow and not transparent' in its inquiries into soldiers' killings of journalists, of shifting blame to the victims and ignoring its duty to hold its military to account. After Gaza and Lebanon, the report identified Sudan and Pakistan as the deadliest places for journalists, with six media workers killed in each last year. Mexico, Syria, Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti also had multiple killings of journalists in 2024. 'The number of conflicts globally – whether political, criminal, or military in nature – has doubled in the past five years, and this is reflected in the high number of deaths of journalists in nations such as Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar,' the CPJ said, citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring initiative. Targeted killings on the rise The CPJ report said at least 24 journalists worldwide had been killed deliberately because of their work over the past year, describing this as 'an alarming rise in the number of targeted killings.' Among them was Ismail Al-Ghoul, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist, who was killed alongside his cameraman, Rami Al-Rifi, in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza last July, sparking condemnation from advocacy groups. The IDF said in its statement to CNN that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas' military wing and had 'participated' in the October 7 attack on Israel, reiterating claims it had made at the time of the attack. Mourners and colleagues holding 'press' signs surround the body of Al-Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul on July 31. Omar Al-Qatta/AFP via Getty Images In the immediate aftermath of Al-Ghoul's killing, his employer, Al Jazeera, denied what it called 'baseless allegations made by the Israeli occupation forces in an attempt to justify its deliberate killing of our colleague, journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, and his companion, cameraman Rami Al-Rifi.' The IDF has rarely provided specific answers about the circumstances that led to the killing of journalists. Instead, the Israeli military has issued vague statements that reiterate their forces do not intentionally target journalists or that the matter is under investigation. Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have been the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening. The committee said 10 journalists were deliberately killed by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. The 14 other journalists whose deaths it determined were deliberate were from Haiti, Mexico, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, India, Iraq, and Sudan. Failures to protect press The report highlighted the ongoing failures to protect journalists and media workers, especially freelancers, in countries with consistently high rates of killings. It cited the killing of a veteran journalist, Alejandro Martínez Noguez, who was shot last August in Mexico while under police protection as an example of the 'persistent flaws' in the country's mechanisms meant to protect journalists. 'The death tolls in Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Iraq reinforced the extreme dangers journalists face in these nations, which have experienced repeated killings over multiple decades despite numerous efforts in some of these countries, including at the national level, to address this,' the report said. Relatives of murdered journalist Alejandro Martínez Noguez attend his funeral and tribute in Celaya, Mexico, on August 7. Mario Armas/AFP via Getty Images Freelancers, it said, were killed at an 'unprecedented rate' last year. A total of 43 were killed, more than a third of all media worker deaths, the majority of which were Palestinians in Gaza. 'The typical freelancer frequently works alone, without staffers' access to protective equipment, security guards, insurance for medical treatment, or benefits that would help surviving family members,' the report said. It called on governments, international institutions and media organizations to ensure accountability for threats and attacks against journalists and to provide media workers with the necessary support to do their work. 'Every journalist killed is the loss of a truth-teller. Those who chronicle our reality and hold power to account deserve justice. We will not stop seeking it,' the committee said in a post on X.
CNN
14-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
2024 was the deadliest year for journalists in over three decades. Nearly 70% were killed by Israel, report says
Last year was the deadliest for journalists in more than three decades, with the majority killed in the Middle East, according to a report released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, the most recorded since the CPJ began collecting data three decades ago. Nearly 70% of those deaths were at the hands of the Israeli military in Gaza and Lebanon, the report said, with 82 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces denied targeting media workers, saying it 'takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists.' 'Remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks,' it said in a lengthy statement to CNN, defending its operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Last year's death toll exceeded the previous record in 2007, when 113 journalists were killed, almost half of them amid the US-led war in Iraq. 'The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists in conflict zones, but it is far from the only place journalists are in danger,' the committee's CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. It accused Israel of being 'slow and not transparent' in its inquiries into soldiers' killings of journalists, of shifting blame to the victims and ignoring its duty to hold its military to account. After Gaza and Lebanon, the report identified Sudan and Pakistan as the deadliest places for journalists, with six media workers killed in each last year. Mexico, Syria, Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti also had multiple killings of journalists in 2024. 'The number of conflicts globally – whether political, criminal, or military in nature – has doubled in the past five years, and this is reflected in the high number of deaths of journalists in nations such as Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar,' the CPJ said, citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring initiative. The CPJ report said at least 24 journalists worldwide had been killed deliberately because of their work over the past year, describing this as 'an alarming rise in the number of targeted killings.' Among them was Ismail Al-Ghoul, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist, who was killed alongside his cameraman, Rami Al-Rifi, in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza last July, sparking condemnation from advocacy groups. The IDF said in its statement to CNN that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas' military wing and had 'participated' in the October 7 attack on Israel, reiterating claims it had made at the time of the attack. In the immediate aftermath of Al-Ghoul's killing, his employer, Al Jazeera, denied what it called 'baseless allegations made by the Israeli occupation forces in an attempt to justify its deliberate killing of our colleague, journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, and his companion, cameraman Rami Al-Rifi.' The IDF has rarely provided specific answers about the circumstances that led to the killing of journalists. Instead, the Israeli military has issued vague statements that reiterate their forces do not intentionally target journalists or that the matter is under investigation. Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have been the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening. The committee said 10 journalists were deliberately killed by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. The 14 other journalists whose deaths it determined were deliberate were from Haiti, Mexico, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, India, Iraq, and Sudan. The report highlighted the ongoing failures to protect journalists and media workers, especially freelancers, in countries with consistently high rates of killings. It cited the killing of a veteran journalist, Alejandro Martínez Noguez, who was shot last August in Mexico while under police protection as an example of the 'persistent flaws' in the country's mechanisms meant to protect journalists. 'The death tolls in Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Iraq reinforced the extreme dangers journalists face in these nations, which have experienced repeated killings over multiple decades despite numerous efforts in some of these countries, including at the national level, to address this,' the report said. Freelancers, it said, were killed at an 'unprecedented rate' last year. A total of 43 were killed, more than a third of all media worker deaths, the majority of which were Palestinians in Gaza. 'The typical freelancer frequently works alone, without staffers' access to protective equipment, security guards, insurance for medical treatment, or benefits that would help surviving family members,' the report said. It called on governments, international institutions and media organizations to ensure accountability for threats and attacks against journalists and to provide media workers with the necessary support to do their work. 'Every journalist killed is the loss of a truth-teller. Those who chronicle our reality and hold power to account deserve justice. We will not stop seeking it,' the committee said in a post on X.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2024 was the deadliest year for journalists in over three decades. Nearly 70% were killed by Israel, report says
Last year was the deadliest for journalists in more than three decades, with the majority killed in the Middle East, according to a report released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, the most recorded since the CPJ began collecting data three decades ago. Nearly 70% of those deaths were at the hands of the Israeli military in Gaza and Lebanon, the report said, with 82 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces denied targeting media workers, saying it 'takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists.' 'Remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks,' it said in a lengthy statement to CNN, defending its operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Last year's death toll exceeded the previous record in 2007, when 113 journalists were killed, almost half of them amid the US-led war in Iraq. 'The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists in conflict zones, but it is far from the only place journalists are in danger,' the committee's CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. It accused Israel of being 'slow and not transparent' in its inquiries into soldiers' killings of journalists, of shifting blame to the victims and ignoring its duty to hold its military to account. After Gaza and Lebanon, the report identified Sudan and Pakistan as the deadliest places for journalists, with six media workers killed in each last year. Mexico, Syria, Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti also had multiple killings of journalists in 2024. 'The number of conflicts globally – whether political, criminal, or military in nature – has doubled in the past five years, and this is reflected in the high number of deaths of journalists in nations such as Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar,' the CPJ said, citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring initiative. The CPJ report said at least 24 journalists worldwide had been killed deliberately because of their work over the past year, describing this as 'an alarming rise in the number of targeted killings.' Among them was Ismail Al-Ghoul, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist, who was killed alongside his cameraman, Rami Al-Rifi, in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza last July, sparking condemnation from advocacy groups. The IDF said in its statement to CNN that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas' military wing and had 'participated' in the October 7 attack on Israel, reiterating claims it had made at the time of the attack. In the immediate aftermath of Al-Ghoul's killing, his employer, Al Jazeera, denied what it called 'baseless allegations made by the Israeli occupation forces in an attempt to justify its deliberate killing of our colleague, journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, and his companion, cameraman Rami Al-Rifi.' The IDF has rarely provided specific answers about the circumstances that led to the killing of journalists. Instead, the Israeli military has issued vague statements that reiterate their forces do not intentionally target journalists or that the matter is under investigation. Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have been the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening. The committee said 10 journalists were deliberately killed by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. The 14 other journalists whose deaths it determined were deliberate were from Haiti, Mexico, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, India, Iraq, and Sudan. The report highlighted the ongoing failures to protect journalists and media workers, especially freelancers, in countries with consistently high rates of killings. It cited the killing of a veteran journalist, Alejandro Martínez Noguez, who was shot last August in Mexico while under police protection as an example of the 'persistent flaws' in the country's mechanisms meant to protect journalists. 'The death tolls in Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Iraq reinforced the extreme dangers journalists face in these nations, which have experienced repeated killings over multiple decades despite numerous efforts in some of these countries, including at the national level, to address this,' the report said. Freelancers, it said, were killed at an 'unprecedented rate' last year. A total of 43 were killed, more than a third of all media worker deaths, the majority of which were Palestinians in Gaza. 'The typical freelancer frequently works alone, without staffers' access to protective equipment, security guards, insurance for medical treatment, or benefits that would help surviving family members,' the report said. It called on governments, international institutions and media organizations to ensure accountability for threats and attacks against journalists and to provide media workers with the necessary support to do their work. 'Every journalist killed is the loss of a truth-teller. Those who chronicle our reality and hold power to account deserve justice. We will not stop seeking it,' the committee said in a post on X.
CNN
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
2024 was the deadliest year for journalists in over three decades. Nearly 70% were killed by Israel, report says
Last year was the deadliest for journalists in more than three decades, with the majority killed in the Middle East, according to a report released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, the most recorded since the CPJ began collecting data three decades ago. Nearly 70% of those deaths were at the hands of the Israeli military in Gaza and Lebanon, the report said, with 82 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces denied targeting media workers, saying it 'takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists.' 'Remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks,' it said in a lengthy statement to CNN, defending its operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Last year's death toll exceeded the previous record in 2007, when 113 journalists were killed, almost half of them amid the US-led war in Iraq. 'The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists in conflict zones, but it is far from the only place journalists are in danger,' the committee's CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. It accused Israel of being 'slow and not transparent' in its inquiries into soldiers' killings of journalists, of shifting blame to the victims and ignoring its duty to hold its military to account. After Gaza and Lebanon, the report identified Sudan and Pakistan as the deadliest places for journalists, with six media workers killed in each last year. Mexico, Syria, Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti also had multiple killings of journalists in 2024. 'The number of conflicts globally – whether political, criminal, or military in nature – has doubled in the past five years, and this is reflected in the high number of deaths of journalists in nations such as Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar,' the CPJ said, citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring initiative. The CPJ report said at least 24 journalists worldwide had been killed deliberately because of their work over the past year, describing this as 'an alarming rise in the number of targeted killings.' Among them was Ismail Al-Ghoul, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist, who was killed alongside his cameraman, Rami Al-Rifi, in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza last July, sparking condemnation from advocacy groups. The IDF said in its statement to CNN that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas' military wing and had 'participated' in the October 7 attack on Israel, reiterating claims it had made at the time of the attack. In the immediate aftermath of Al-Ghoul's killing, his employer, Al Jazeera, denied what it called 'baseless allegations made by the Israeli occupation forces in an attempt to justify its deliberate killing of our colleague, journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, and his companion, cameraman Rami Al-Rifi.' The IDF has rarely provided specific answers about the circumstances that led to the killing of journalists. Instead, the Israeli military has issued vague statements that reiterate their forces do not intentionally target journalists or that the matter is under investigation. Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have been the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening. The committee said 10 journalists were deliberately killed by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. The 14 other journalists whose deaths it determined were deliberate were from Haiti, Mexico, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, India, Iraq, and Sudan. The report highlighted the ongoing failures to protect journalists and media workers, especially freelancers, in countries with consistently high rates of killings. It cited the killing of a veteran journalist, Alejandro Martínez Noguez, who was shot last August in Mexico while under police protection as an example of the 'persistent flaws' in the country's mechanisms meant to protect journalists. 'The death tolls in Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Iraq reinforced the extreme dangers journalists face in these nations, which have experienced repeated killings over multiple decades despite numerous efforts in some of these countries, including at the national level, to address this,' the report said. Freelancers, it said, were killed at an 'unprecedented rate' last year. A total of 43 were killed, more than a third of all media worker deaths, the majority of which were Palestinians in Gaza. 'The typical freelancer frequently works alone, without staffers' access to protective equipment, security guards, insurance for medical treatment, or benefits that would help surviving family members,' the report said. It called on governments, international institutions and media organizations to ensure accountability for threats and attacks against journalists and to provide media workers with the necessary support to do their work. 'Every journalist killed is the loss of a truth-teller. Those who chronicle our reality and hold power to account deserve justice. We will not stop seeking it,' the committee said in a post on X.
Al Jazeera
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israel killed majority of record number of journalists slain in 2024: CPJ
A record number of journalists were killed in 2024, with Israel responsible for more than two-thirds of those deaths, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said in its annual report. Announcing its findings on Wednesday, the CPJ said at least 124 journalists were killed in 18 countries last year, in what was the deadliest year for media workers since the committee began keeping records more than three decades ago. The previous deadliest year for media workers was 2007, when 113 journalists were killed, with almost half of those due to the Iraq war, the press freedom group said. 'Today is the most dangerous time to be a journalist in CPJ's history,' the committee's chief Jodie Ginsberg said in the statement. 'The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists in conflict zones, but it is far from the only place journalists are in danger,' she said. At least 85 journalists died throughout 2024 at the hands of the Israeli military during Israel's war on Gaza, the CPJ said, with 82 of those who were killed being Palestinians. The advocacy group also accused Israel of attempting to stifle investigations into the killings, shift blame onto journalists for their own deaths, and ignoring its duty to hold its own military personnel accountable for the killings of so many media workers. The CPJ named Sudan and Pakistan as the joint second most deadly countries for media workers last year, with six journalists killed in each. It also said at least 24 journalists were deliberately killed because of their work, in what it described as an 'alarming rise in the number of targeted killings'. The CPJ said 10 journalists were 'murdered' by the Israeli military in Gaza and Lebanon, while the 14 other journalists were assassinated in Haiti, Mexico, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, India, Iraq, and Sudan. The group said that freelance journalists accounted for 43 deaths – more than 35 percent of last year's total – with 31 of those cases being Palestinians reporting from Gaza. 'International media continue to be barred from reporting from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, except for rare and escorted trips arranged by the Israeli military,' the CPJ said, highlighting the essential work of freelancers in the besieged enclave. 'CPJ has repeatedly advocated for Israel and Egypt to open access, and reiterates that call as part of the ongoing ceasefire,' it added. The Israeli military has killed several Al Jazeera journalists covering the war in Gaza since October 2023. Among those killed were Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi, who died on July 31, 2024, when Israeli forces bombed their car in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. Israeli authorities denied deliberately targeting the pair, as well as other journalists in Gaza. In a statement, Al Jazeera Media Network labelled the killings a 'targeted assassination' and pledged to 'pursue all legal actions to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes'. Israel's attacks on Palestinian journalists have also continued into 2025, with reporter Ahmad al-Shayah among six killed in a drone strike on a charity facility in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on January 15.
