Brussels, 27 August 2025
IFRD condemns the Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which resulted in the tragic deaths of five journalists who were reporting and assisting in rescue efforts. Among those killed were Moaz Abu Taha, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Mohammad Salama, Ahmed Abu Aziz, and Reuters contractor Hussam al-Masri. This comes after the recent killing of the Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif one of the prominent reporting voices on Gaza.
This attack is part of a growing pattern of violence against media professionals in Gaza. Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 270 journalists and media workers in the territory. The use of a double-tap strike speaks for the brutality of the act. The deliberate targeting of journalists represents assaults on press freedom and international humanitarian law. Similarly such threats to social freedoms and accountability are present in countries like Tunisia and Libya where journalists face escalating restrictions.
IFRD advocates for action against the attacks. This reality demands urgent international attention and intervention: to hold perpetrators accountable, to protect journalists and civil society, and to ensure that the world does not turn away from the truth of what is unfolding in Gaza. We call for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the imposition of targeted sanctions on Israel and institutions responsible for violations, and the initiation of concrete international legal proceedings. Such measures are necessary not only to defend journalists but to confront the wider machinery of oppression and genocide in Gaza.
The deliberate targeting of journalists in Gaza is not only an assault on press freedom but also another manifestation of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. Silencing witnesses and erasing testimony is a deliberate strategy within this campaign of destruction.
