The Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Anthony Bellanger, said today that the IFJ’s Executive Committee will hold a meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss submitting a complaint related to the Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinian journalists to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Bellanger explained during a press conference held at the headquarters of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) in Al-Bireh that the number of journalists who have been killed since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7 is very large.
The Israeli forces have killed more journalists in the past six weeks than it has killed in the past 20 years, he said.
Bellanger stressed that he stands with the Palestinian people, rejects what Palestinian journalists are being subjected to, and that he came to support them and stand with them in facing the occupation, specifically in the Gaza Strip.
He pointed out that he represents 600,000 journalists around the
world, and many of the federation’s members sent him messages of solidarity with the Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip, rejecting what journalists in Gaza are exposed to, noting that his mission is to stand by Palestinian journalists and to show solidarity with them in light of the difficult circumstances they go through.
He called on governments around the world to adhere to United Nations resolutions related to protecting journalists, holding perpetrators of crimes accountable, and preventing their impunity in order to provide security, protection, and freedom of expression for journalists.
Bellanger called on the Israeli government to adhere to Security Council Resolution 222, which stipulates the protection of journalists and civilians, and to ensure the protection of media workers and their right to freedom of expression, opinion, publication, and life, as well as respect for international humanitarian law on the protection of journalists and civilians.
For his part, the head of the Palestinia
n Journalists Syndicate, Nasser Abu Bakr, said that Palestinian journalists are facing a wide-scale war and massacres are being committed against them.
He added that since the first day of the aggression against Gaza, the IFJ was in constant touch with the PJS and provided it with important assistance to facilitate the work of journalists in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Bakr stressed that the PJS is ready to provide all forms of support to journalists in the Gaza Strip, explaining that it is ready to go to the Gaza Strip with the IFJ and the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
He called on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to expedite opening an investigation into the crimes committed against Palestinian journalists.
It is noteworthy that about 59 journalists and media workers were killed as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA