"Mada": More than 300 Palestinian journalists have been martyred since the start of the genocide war

Ramallah - Afaq News - The 26th of September each year marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Journalist, a date established by the International Federation of Journalists in 1996 to highlight the reality of Palestinian journalists and the violations they face, and to affirm their right to practice their journalistic work freely and safely.

This year, this day comes amid the continued extremely dangerous conditions in which Palestinian journalists operate, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where journalists have paid a heavy price during the ongoing genocide since October 7, 2023.

According to documentation from the Mada Center, more than 300 journalists have been martyred during this period, in one of the bloodiest periods witnessed by Palestinian journalism.

Violations are not limited to killings; Palestinian journalists face arrest and detention, injury and physical assault, prevention of coverage, confiscation or destruction of equipment, threats and persecution, in addition to the destruction of journalists' homes, their displacement, and targeting of their family members. According to data published in August 2026, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that about 40 Palestinian journalists were held in Israeli prisons, and that more than 250 journalists have been subjected to arrest or detention since the beginning of the war, including those who were later released.

The targeting has also extended to media institutions and the infrastructure of the media sector, through the destruction of media headquarters and offices, targeting homes and properties linked to journalists, along with restrictions imposed on journalistic coverage and access to information. Human rights and media organizations have also documented cases of targeting equipment, frequencies, websites, and various media outlets.

In this context, the Mada Center confirmed that the protection of journalists cannot be reduced to providing safety equipment while working, but rather requires ensuring an environment that allows them to practice their profession without being killed, arrested, threatened, or prevented from covering events, and guaranteeing their right to access and convey information to the public.

Mada emphasized that the continued impunity for crimes committed against journalists weakens the protection system for the press and encourages ongoing violations. Therefore, the Mada Center reiterates its call for independent and transparent investigations into cases of journalists being killed, injured, or arrested, and for holding those responsible for these violations accountable under international law, as well as ensuring the right of victims and their families to access justice.

The center also called on the international community and relevant international institutions concerned with press freedom and human rights to take responsibility for providing protection for Palestinian journalists, to pressure for an end to violations against them, and to ensure that journalists and media outlets can access the Gaza Strip, enabling the media to perform its role in conveying events and documenting violations.

On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Journalist, Mada renewed its solidarity with Palestinian journalists and those working in media institutions, commemorating those who lost their lives while fulfilling their mission, and affirming that the protection of journalists is not a privilege, but a legal obligation and a fundamental condition for ensuring press freedom and the public's right to knowledge and access to information.