17 Senators demand the United States of pressure on Israel to kill Palestinian journalists, opening Gaza to the media
In a letter made public Wednesday, a group of Senate democrats urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to put pressure on Israel about the death of Palestinian journalists covering the Gaza conflict and growing Gaza to be opened to international media.
Signed by Hawaii senator, Brian Shatz, and co-signed by 16 other Democratic senators, including Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine, the letter also specifically addresses the death of the Al Jazea correspondent, Anas Al-Sharif, who was killed during an Israeli strike in Gaza on August 10.
“Israel did not provide convincing evidence for his assertion that Al-Sharif was a Hamas activist. In the absence of an imperative explanation of the military objective for this attack, it seems that Israel publicly admits to target and kill journalists who showed the world the scale of suffering in Gaza, which would be a violation of international law, “they wrote.
The letter continues by saying that more than 190 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict with the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023. “The vast majority of whom,” said the letter, “were the Palestinians killed in Gaza by the military action of the FDI”.
The letter also indicates that Israel “continues to prohibit journalists from entering independently from Gaza” and urged Rubio “to prioritize the immediate access of journalists in Gaza: as well as guarantees of Israel that the FDI” will not target them in its operations “.
“The United States must clearly indicate in Israel that the ban and censorship of media organizations and target or threaten press members are unacceptable and must stop,” they also said. “The lack of support from the United States government in responsibility efforts is used to compromise moral leadership and the credibility of the United States in the region and in the world.”
Read the letter below:
Al-Sharif, whose death sparked a new uproar on the death of journalists covering Gaza, was killed with seven other people in the attack in early August. Al Jazeera’s correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and Ibrahim Zaher cameras, Mohammed Noufal and Moamin Aliwa were also among the dead.
Israeli military officials allegedly alleged that Al-Sharif, 28, was a Hamas agent who had participated in rocket attacks. Al Jazeera rejected the accusation. Al -Sharif – and Al Jazeera – were also controversial even in some in Gaza, where it was reported that the inhabitants were upset that protests against Hamas in Gaza were not covered.
Israel frequently accused Palestinian journalists belonging to militant groups, according to accusation criticism, aims to undermine the coverage of its actions in the war.
