Journalists Syndicate: Palestinian female journalists have paid a heavy price for conveying the truth, and the world must protect press freedom

In a statement issued by the Gender Committee on Friday, marking International Women’s Day which falls on March 8, the Syndicate stated that this year’s International Women’s Day comes for the second consecutive year amidst the ongoing Israeli war on the Palestinian people. “Palestinian female journalists are subjected to the most heinous crimes, violations, and systematic targeting, including murder, shelling, detention, coverage prevention, and forced displacement.”
These crimes are not confined to the Gaza Strip but extend to the West Bank and Jerusalem, where journalists face an unprecedented wave of repression aimed at silencing the Palestinian narrative and obscuring the truth from the world, said the PJS Gender Committee in a statement.
The statement further stressed that since the start of the Israeli genocide on October 7, 2023, 200 journalists have been killed, including 27 female colleagues. “This marks the largest targeting operation of journalists ever witnessed by the press worldwide.”
Additionally, 14 female journalists were detained by the occupation but were later released. Dozens more sustained injuries in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. At least 150 female journalists' homes were destroyed in Gaza, forcing them into repeated displacement, alongside the destruction of dozens of media institutions.
The Gender Committee emphasized that Palestinian female journalists face compounded targeting, not only through physical assaults and the prevention of coverage but also through attacks on their homes and families, restrictions on their freedom of movement and work, and direct threats to their lives.
The committee documented testimonies of female journalists who lost their entire families, as well as those who were forcibly displaced and had their homes destroyed by Israeli shelling. Meanwhile, the systematic targeting of anyone carrying a camera or a pen to report the truth continues, it added. The committee stated that this grim reality underscores the occupation’s relentless efforts to eradicate Palestinian journalism and silence the voices of female journalists in the media landscape.
The statement called for urgent international protection for journalists in Palestine, the dispatch of independent investigation committees to monitor Israeli crimes against them and the inclusion of Israel in the blacklist of countries targeting journalists.
It also demanded Israel be held legally accountable for its crimes before the International Criminal Court. The statement urged international institutions to ensure Israel’s respect for international law and immediately halt the targeting of Palestinian journalists and media outlets.
Additionally, the Committee stressed the need for international support for Palestinian female journalists who have lost their homes, been forcibly displaced, or faced direct threats due to their journalistic work.
The statement concluded that celebrating March 8 should not be limited to slogans, but must involve standing in solidarity with Palestinian female journalists who are paying a high price simply for telling the truth.
“The world and its international institutions must protect press freedom and not be complicit in the murder of journalists by remaining silent.”
Palestinian female journalists will remain the voice of truth, continuing to convey the suffering of their people despite repression and targeting. They will remain at the forefront of the media scene, defending the truth, covering and exposing crimes, and carrying out their national duty with integrity and professionalism, the statement concluded.