Killing The Witnesses: Israel’s War Against Gaza’s Journalists And The Hunt For The Truth

‘This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.‘

These haunting words, penned by Anas al-Sharif—one of Gaza’s most fearless journalists—proved prophetic. In a world where truth has become the ultimate casualty of war, al-Sharif’s final testament stands as a damning indictment of Israel’s systematic campaign to murder those who dare document its atrocities.

The massacre

Four Al Jazeera staff members were assassinated in an Israeli strike on Gaza, sparking global condemnation of Israel’s thirst for genocidal annihilation and deepening concerns about the deliberate targeting of journalists in conflict zones.

The murdered journalists were correspondent Anas al-Sharif, correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameraman Ibrahim Zaher, and crew driver and cameraman Mohammed Noufal, Al Jazeera confirmed. Three other media workers perished in the same strike: freelance cameraman Moamen Aliwa and freelance journalist Mohammed al-Khaldi, along with one additional crew member.

Anas al-Sharif was often described as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” for his unflinching documentation of the carnage Israel had unleashed upon his homeland, with Al Jazeera stating that he ‘never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.’ In a rare admission, Israel acknowledged the slaughter of al-Sharif, alleging it was done in the interest of national safety and accusing the journalists of leading a Hamas cell and ‘advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and [Israeli] troops.‘ This came despite vehement denials from both al-Sharif and Al Jazeera, with al-Sharif recently becoming increasingly vocal about his anti-Hamas stance. Israel harbours no doubt while hurling terrorism accusations at journalists, all without furnishing credible evidence.

‘Israel is murdering the messengers,’ said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. ‘Israel wiped out an entire news crew. It has made no claims that any of the other journalists were terrorists. That’s murder. Plain and simple.’

‘It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif—who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war—surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory,’ Qudah said, adding that the famine has been independently corroborated by aid workers and medics, despite Israel’s refusal to let foreign reporters into Gaza.

Unprecedented carnage by Israel

This bloodshed epitomises Israel’s war on truth itself—the mounting death toll of journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces has surpassed 200 since October 2023, making Gaza the most lethal territory in the world for press freedom, as corroborated by the US Brown University‘s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs’ Costs of War project, which stated that the conflict is the deadliest on record for journalists. This report also revealed that this genocide has killed more reporters than the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan—combined.

‘I don’t know any conflict on earth where such a large number of journalists have been targeted and killed,’ Raji Sourani, a human rights lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), told The New Arab.

‘Now, the question is: why? [Because] they are the eyes and ears of international media, broadcasting war crimes, persecution, and genocide live, aware of their responsibility to bring the facts to the world. In this genocidal war, pictures make a difference.’

The UN Human Rights office also publicly denounced this slaughter on Twitter/X, stating:

‘#Gaza: We condemn the killing by Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law. #Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. At least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza since 7 Oct 2023. We call for immediate, safe & unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists.’

Palestinian journalists report with the spectre of death looming over every assignment, telling tales of their own neighborhoods littered with the corpses of neighbors they once broke bread with, of the labyrinthine streets of Gaza perpetually stained with the blood of their brethren. Israeli forces have marked them for death, yet they never falter in speaking out about the atrocities the world may never witness.

The information blackout

By enlisting death as Palestinian journalists’ constant companion, Israel aims to harness the power of intimidation to deter civilians from speaking out about the massacre that occurs around them daily. This strategy proves especially effective because international press coverage of events in Gaza remains severely limited—we are totally dependent on local Palestinian reporters for their uncensored exposition of the atrocities befalling them.

‘I have no doubt that the prevention of international access, the killings of journalists, the targeting of media facilities, the punishment of [Israeli] outlets like Haaretz is part of a deliberate strategy on the part of Israel to conceal what is happening inside Gaza,’ said CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg.

For 20 months, Israeli authorities have refused to grant journalists outside Gaza independent access to the Palestinian territory—a situation without precedent in modern warfare. This systematic exclusion of foreign media isn’t accidental; it’s calculated. More than 70 media and civil society organisations have urged Israel to give journalists independent access to Gaza, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and The New York Times—yet Israel continues to stonewall.

The propaganda machine that is Israel

Taking a page from the fascist playbook, Israel has orchestrated a dual campaign—militarily seising land that was never theirs while simultaneously weaponising narrative dominance to glorify their cause. This manipulation of discursive power revolves around three core pillars: Jewish victimhood, Israel’s existential necessity for survival, and the myth of permanent external threats. Israel‘s media strategy operates on multiple fronts with distinct messaging:

• Domestic reassurance: ‘We are strong, and we will protect you.’
• Enemy deterrence: ‘If you attack, we will respond with force.’
• International legitimacy: ‘We are victims, and we are only defending ourselves.’

To reinforce these narratives, Israel deployed several fabricated justifications:

• Israel is the victim of an unprecedented terrorist attack and is authorised to take any action in self-defense
• Hospitals, schools, and media offices are Hamas bases, making their targeting “inevitable”
• UNRWA is linked to Hamas, justifying the cessation of international aid
• Increased civilian casualties result from Hamas’ use of human shields, not Israeli military policies

The scope of this deception is breathtaking. Galit Distel-Atbarian, former Minister of Intelligence, brazenly admitted on Israel’s Channel 12 just four days after October 7:

‘We opened dozens of pages that no one understood were for us, we produced dozens of videos that no one understood were our work. We sent media teams to influencers, especially those who have an audience abroad. We created the message ‘Hamas is ISIS,’ and today, we saw that they have spread it all over the world.’

As international criticism mounts, Israel has allocated $150 million by 2025—twenty times more than before—to reshape global perceptions of its military actions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated:

‘I am determined to make a difference. Every small amount allocated to this goal is an investment, not an expense, and will strengthen Israel and its place in the world.’

The war by Israel against truth

This multi-million dollar propaganda apparatus operates while Palestinian journalists die for daring to document reality. The contrast is stark: Israel spends $150 million to manufacture lies while spending bullets to silence those who could expose them. It‘s a totalitarian blueprint executed with surgical precision—eliminate the witnesses, flood the information space with fabrications, and ensure only one narrative survives.

The systematic nature of this campaign reveals itself in Israel’s own admissions. When officials boast about creating fake pages and manipulating influencers, when they allocate unprecedented funds to reshape global perception, when they refuse international media access for nearly two years—these aren’t isolated incidents. They’re coordinated strikes in a war against truth itself.

Their cameras may be silenced, but their legacy burns eternal—a flame that no amount of Israeli brutality or propaganda billions can ever extinguish.

References:

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/26/al-jazeera-condemns-israeli-killing-of-four-of-its-journalists-in-gaza
• https://cpj.org/2024/12/israel-kills-four-al-jazeera-journalists-three-other-media-workers-in-gaza-strike/
• https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2024/PalestinianJournalists
• https://www.newarab.com/news/gaza-deadliest-place-journalists-world-242-killed
• https://twitter.com/UNHumanRights/status/1872649384234045511
• https://cpj.org/2024/08/cpj-calls-on-israel-to-allow-international-journalists-independent-access-to-gaza/
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/may/07/international-journalists-demand-access-to-gaza
• https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/media-groups-demand-israel-allow-independent-journalist-access-gaza-2024-05-07/
• https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-gaza-war-social-media-propaganda-how-government-spreads-its-message
• https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-12-15/ty-article/.premium/israel-allocates-150-million-to-improve-its-global-image-amid-gaza-war/0000018c-f890-d38f-a9ac-f8ba85af0000
• https://www.newarab.com/analysis/silencing-witnesses-israels-killing-gazas-journalists
• https://www.dw.com/en/israel-kills-al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-in-gaza/a-73595271