Palestinian journalist Zaqout evaluated Israel's violence against journalists in Gaza on the occasion of January 10, Working Journalists' Day.
Zaqout said that the Israeli army has been targeting the Gaza Strip from air and land since the first day of the war, and that he was in the Cibaliye Refugee Camp in the south of Gaza with a small number of journalists.
Zaqout noted that there were at least 112 journalists among the 23 thousand civilians killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, and that Israel specifically targeted journalists and media organizations, and continued as follows:
"Palestinian media is being massacred and directly targeted. 112 journalists were martyred in the crazy Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. There are dozens of journalists injured as a result of direct attacks by Israeli warplanes. There are dozens of media outlets destroyed by Israeli military systems. The homes of many of our journalist colleagues were targeted and destroyed by Israeli warplanes."
Stating that the Israeli army committed many war crimes in Gaza and disregarded international law, and that the Israeli government tried to prevent this from being documented, Zaqout made the following assessment:
"Israel wants to hide its crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Gazans, who were attacked with all internationally banned weapons, resist and stand tall against Israeli forces. Israel has been using these weapons since the beginning of the war, that is, for more than 3 months. The Israeli army aims to cover up the truth by targeting the infrastructure of the Palestinian press."
Israel, which has murdered 112 press workers in Gaza since October 7, also targeted the families of many journalists. The moments when journalists received the news that their family members had been killed while on duty are etched in memories.
It is noteworthy that the number of journalists who lost their lives in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7 is more than those killed worldwide in 2021 and 2022.
The Israeli army, which has been bombing Gaza from land, air and sea for more than 3 months, martyred many journalists as well as civilians in the attacks. According to data from international organizations, 109 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2021 and 2022.