Injury of 5 journalists in 5 days by Israeli gas bombs in eastern Gaza Strip shows approach to press suppression

Stockholm - Skyline International for Human Rights strongly condemns the Israeli army's attacks on Palestinian journalists in the eastern Gaza Strip, which injured five of them in the last five days.

In a statement released today, Sunday, Skyline states that it observes how three photojournalists were injured by gas bombs fired by the Israeli army east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip while they were covering youth demonstrations to condemn settlers’ intrusion into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Fadi Al-Danaf, a cameraman for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was reportedly injured in the foot by a gas bomb; Bilal Al-Sabbagh, a photographer for the French agency, was also injured in the foot by a gas bomb; and Mustafa Hassouna, a photographer for the Turkish agency Anadolu.

Skyline confirmes that preliminary data indicate that Israeli forces are targeting journalists as part of their systematic policy of suppressing journalists and trying to cover up their assaults and use of excessive force against protesters.

According to Skyline, photojournalist Ashraf Abu Amra was injured last Friday east of Khan Yunis by a gas bomb fired directly by Israeli forces, causing severe cuts to his right hand and forcing him to travel abroad for treatment.

Also, journalist Ismail Abu Omar, correspondent of Al-Aqsa Radio, was hit directly in the shoulder by a gas bomb last Wednesday, while two vehicles of journalists were hit in these attacks, severely suffocating many journalists.

Skyline says, '' repeated direct targeting of journalists and injuring them, despite the fact that they were in specific locations far from the sites of the demonstrators, indicates a systematic Israeli policy aimed at harming journalists as they attempt to cover the events and convey the reality of repression and excessive use of force by these forces against the demonstrators''.

Skyline calls on the various mechanisms of the United Nations to take more effective measures to end the systematic Israeli violations against journalists and media freedom in Palestine and to ensure that journalists can work without fear and intimidation.