Journalism is not a crime

The world marks World Press Freedom Day on Saturday — a day to reaffirm the importance of a free and independent press. For Palestinian journalists, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices and grave dangers they face simply for doing their jobs.

Across Gaza and the West Bank, reporters are under attack — not only by Israeli forces but also by their own leadership and armed groups. The Palestinian narrative is being silenced by Israeli war criminals, while Palestinian authorities in Ramallah and Hamas in Gaza show little tolerance for critical or independent reporting.

The scale of violence against Palestinian journalists in Gaza is staggering. Nearly 200 journalists have been killed since Israel’s offensive began in late 2023, according to Reporters Without Borders. At least 43 of them died while actively reporting. Newsrooms have been destroyed, homes bombed and neighborhoods flattened — all while Israel justifies its actions by branding journalists as “Hamas affiliates” or “terrorist sympathizers.” These claims are not only baseless; they are lethal. International humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions makes it clear: unless directly participating in hostilities, journalists — even those accused of disseminating propaganda — are civilians and must not be targeted.

As if the external threat were not enough, Palestinian journalists are also being silenced from within. In Gaza, Hamas has responded to protests and critical reporting with threats and intimidation. At least three journalists have received death threats or been physically attacked for covering public dissent or posting criticism online. One reporter, speaking anonymously to Reporters Without Borders, said he deleted posts after receiving direct threats from Hamas members.

As if the external threat were not enough, Palestinian journalists are also being silenced from within

Daoud Kuttab

In the West Bank, the Palestinian government, through security forces, has also cracked down on press freedom. Journalists have been harassed, assaulted and arbitrarily detained by security forces. Al Jazeera correspondent Laith Jaar was beaten and threatened with a firearm by a Palestinian security officer while covering the Israeli bombardment of Tulkarem. Another journalist, Mohammed Atrash, was arrested for documenting Israel’s invasion of Jenin. In a further escalation, the Ramallah-based Palestinian government has ordered the shutdown of Al Jazeera and suspended the network’s operations in the West Bank, accusing it of “inciting” unrest — a charge often used to silence critical media.

Palestinian journalists now find themselves caught between occupation, repression and censorship. This is no longer just a national crisis, it is a global press freedom emergency. When media offices are bombed, journalists are killed with impunity and entire news outlets are shut down, it signals the systematic destruction of one of the last remaining avenues of truth and accountability. Ironically, these attacks — whether by Israel, Hamas or the Palestinian Authority — serve Israel’s interests, enabling it to control the global narrative with minimal scrutiny.

This cannot go unanswered. But outrage alone is not enough. The international media must recognize its own failure, particularly in allowing Israel’s ban on foreign press access to Gaza to go largely unchallenged.

As someone who has worked in journalism for decades, I can say unequivocally: the exclusion of foreign reporters from Gaza has had a devastating effect. It has allowed the Israeli government to control the global narrative of the conflict with little resistance. Without international journalists present, the world is left with a false equivalency — the claims of the Israeli military versus those of local Palestinian journalists, who are often unfairly dismissed as biased regardless of their professionalism or documented video evidence.

If international correspondents had been allowed into Gaza — if they had been able to visit hospitals, document attacks and verify or debunk Israeli claims — the narrative would be dramatically different. Their presence would not just improve the quality of coverage, it could save lives. More cameras and independent eyes on the ground would raise the political cost of war crimes and increase the chances for accountability.

The refusal to allow foreign journalists into Gaza is not a logistical matter — it is a deliberate tactic to obscure the truth

Daoud Kuttab

The refusal to allow foreign journalists into Gaza is not a logistical matter — it is a deliberate tactic to obscure the truth. Every news story about the war, in any media outlet around the world, should clearly state that international reporters have been denied access. Omitting this fact contributes to an illusion of transparency that simply does not exist. This is not a normal reporting environment — it is abnormal and the world must acknowledge it as such.

Journalism cannot survive under these conditions unless journalists and media organizations everywhere raise their voices more forcefully and more consistently. Global media institutions must go beyond generic statements of solidarity. They must demand safe access for all journalists, press for international accountability and publicly denounce any offending government or party, Israeli or Palestinian.

Governments that claim to defend press freedom must back up their rhetoric with action. That includes diplomatic pressure, international legal complaints and even sanctions against those responsible for the targeted killing and silencing of journalists. Anything less is complicity.

World Press Freedom Day should not be reduced to a symbolic gesture. It must be a turning point. We owe it to the fallen journalists of Gaza — and to the courageous reporters who continue to risk their lives — to declare, without hesitation: journalism is not a crime.

If we fail to defend this principle now, we risk losing it for good.

• Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of ‘State of Palestine NOW: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace to the Middle East.’ X: @daoudkuttab