Journalists in Gaza perform funeral prayers for a colleague who was martyred in the Israeli aggression (Anatolia)
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said that Gaza witnessed the largest losses among journalists in the history of modern wars.
It stressed the responsibility of states to protect journalists and ensure a safe environment for them to perform their work independently, and to call for independent and impartial investigations, in accordance with international standards, and to ensure that those responsible do not escape these violations.
This came in the speech of the State of Qatar before the Human Rights Council at its 55th session, delivered by Abdullah Nasser Al-Naama, Third Secretary of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the general discussion (under item three), which centered on “protecting journalists.”
Al-Nama said, “The issue of protecting and promoting the rights of journalists and the increasing violations against them, with the spread of the phenomenon of impunity and lack of accountability, are among the important issues for which appropriate solutions must be found as soon as possible,” noting that the number of journalists martyred in Gaza has reached, since October 7th. Last October, more than 130 journalists were killed, in addition to the injury of 16 others, the disappearance of 4, and the arrest of 25.
The State of Qatar affirms the responsibility of states to protect journalists and ensure a safe environment for them to perform their work independently #Qatar_Foreign Affairs pic.twitter.com/XVyK83n0ly
- Qatari Foreign Ministry (@MofaQatar_AR) March 15, 2024
He noted that these numbers are likely to increase, making them the largest losses for journalists in the history of modern wars, calling for rapid, independent and impartial investigations in accordance with international standards, and to ensure that those responsible do not escape these violations and crimes.
Al-Nama also expressed the State of Qatar's strong condemnation of the targeting and destruction of press and media institutions, and the increasing number of Palestinian journalists, media workers, and their family members who were killed, attacked, arrested, and whose homes were destroyed in the Palestinian territories occupied by the Israeli occupation forces, especially in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, despite They wear jackets and helmets marked “Press.”
In this context, the Qatari official explained that this confirms the existence of a deliberate Israeli strategy to prevent and obstruct the work of Palestinian journalists in documenting and transmitting facts and information about massacres, war crimes and genocide committed against innocent Palestinians, and about flagrant Israeli violations of international agreements, laws and resolutions.
Source: Al Jazeera + Qatar News Agency (QNA)