Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann condemns the recent Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Among the more than 20 people killed in the strike on 25 August were five journalists: Mohammad Salama, Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Ahmed Abu Aziz, and Moaz Abu Taha.
Since 7 October 2023, more than 275 journalists have been killed in the conflict in Gaza, making this the deadliest conflict ever for journalists. On 11 August, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike, along with three of his colleagues. In addition, Israel is restricting journalists’ access to Gaza and impeding their ability to report freely on the conflict.
All parties in any conflict have a duty to protect all civilians, including journalists. Under the Geneva Conventions, journalists in war zones must be treated as civilians, and protected. Israel’s failure to protect the journalists who are reporting on the conflict is totally unacceptable.
Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, and the protection of lives and human rights of writers, journalists, and all innocent people affected by the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann also calls for transparent investigations into the killings of all writers and journalists in Gaza and across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). And we call on the International Criminal Court to investigate the killing of journalists as part of its ongoing investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. Failure to respond to ongoing war crimes in Palestine and the OPT is undermining the international justice system.