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Join the webinar "The Silencing Act: Journalism in Palestine" on 6 March

28 February 2024 | Updated on 2 September 2024

How do attacks on freedom of expression, arrests and censorship limit the knowledge of those outside Palestine about the situation on the ground? What can be done to ensure the safety of those bravely seeking to document and report? IFEX and APC invite you to the webinar “The Silencing Act: Journalism in Palestine” on 6 March 2024, for a discussion on these pressing issues. We will be joined by 7amleh-The Arab Center for Social Media Advancement, the Palestine Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) and other local organisations sharing their knowledge and experiences.

A space for listening and amplifying voices from the ground

In December 2023, 7amleh, SMEX and APC organised a webinar to commemorate Human Rights Day and discuss the ongoing violations affecting civil society organisations, the internet and communications infrastructure in Gaza and internet spaces in general. With the ongoing conflict, it's more important than ever to keep this space open for first-hand accounts of freedom of expression and association and digital rights violations targeting the Palestinian population.

The webinar’s objective is to highlight local voices and stories to inform the work and positions of our networks in relation to the conflict in Gaza and the human rights situation in Palestine, with a focus on freedom of expression. Join us to hear recommendations and to know more about channelling the findings to key decision makers and stakeholders.

Speakers will include Shireen Al-Khatib from the Palestine Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), Kholod Masalha from the Arab Center for Media Freedom Development Development and Research (I'lam), Shuruq Asad from the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PJS), and independent journalist Riham Abu Aita, along with others to be confirmed.

“A textbook case of coloniser’s journalism”

According to the UN, since 7 October, over 125 journalists and media workers have been killed and injured in Gaza. Three journalists in Lebanon were killed from Israeli shelling near the border. Four Israeli journalists were killed by Hamas in the 7 October attacks. Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been detained by Israeli forces in both Gaza and in the West Bank where harassment, intimidation and attacks on journalists have increased. MADA has documented 80 violations committed by occupation forces during January 2024, most notably the killing of 14 journalists in the Gaza Strip. 7amleh’s recent report, Hashtag Palestine 2023, also highlights the increased repression of journalists, both online and offline. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also documented a list of casualties.

According to a Reuters report in October, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Reuters and Agence France Press that it could not guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, after they had sought assurances that their journalists would not be targeted by Israeli strikes. Journalists from outlets including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, RT Arabic and Al-Araby TV have reported obstructions to their reporting by the Israeli police, military and others since the war began.

Israel has refused to let media from outside Gaza enter and report unless they are embedded with Israeli forces. This has contributed to heavily biased international coverage of the conflict that has been characterised as “a textbook case of coloniser’s journalism”.

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