Tribute to Palestinian Journalists Who Leave Us a Legacy of Struggle
Since the beginning of the conflict, at least 142 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza. During the same period, around 35,000 people lost their lives in Gaza and the West Bank, while approximately 1,400 died in Israel.
The independent organization Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is still investigating numerous reports of journalists who have been killed, gone missing, detained, censored, or threatened for reporting on Gaza and the Israeli military attacks. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has called on Israel to prevent genocide due to these attacks. Although journalists are civilians performing vital work in crisis times and should not be targeted by warring sides, many have made enormous sacrifices over the past eight months to do their jobs. Journalists in Gaza have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll.
The Trade Union of Croatian Journalists is launching an initiative to honor fallen Palestinian journalists and all colleagues who have risked their lives to report objectively from Gaza. These colleagues leave us a legacy of struggle – a struggle for free journalism and for peace for the people of Palestine and Israel. Every day, we will post an illustration on our social media, pausing to reflect on the lost lives as we continue to deliver dedicated and critical journalistic work.
For months, journalists have reported on civilian casualties, the bombing of schools, hospitals, newsrooms, religious sites, and refugee camps. Journalists from Gaza, as well as independent journalists in Israel, repeatedly state that they are not witnessing new “escalations” but are documenting genocide and crimes of horrific magnitude. Our union colleagues – the main Palestinian unions and federations – have repeatedly called for international help over the past few months.
As journalists and union members, we express solidarity with persecuted colleagues and all victims in Palestine and Israel. We call on our colleagues in Croatia to report on this war thoughtfully and responsibly, avoiding apologism, sensationalism, and superficial analyses, especially avoiding war-mongering. We urge the Government of the Republic of Croatia to do everything in its power to ensure an immediate ceasefire and work towards the reconstruction of Gaza.
Every day, we will publish an illustration, pause to reflect on the lost lives, and find the strength to continue the fight.