"Reporters Without Borders" calls for an emergency session of the Security Council to protect journalists in Gaza.

Press freedom in the Gaza Strip faces a real existential challenge, as more than 200 journalists have been martyred during 22 months of Israeli aggression. Reporters Without Borders described this figure as horrific, deserving of attention and urgent measures to stop the massacre committed against journalists.

The head of the crisis department at the organization, Martin Rou, confirmed that targeting journalists is not an isolated incident, but rather a recurring pattern of systematic operations against media professionals. Recently, Gaza has witnessed direct targeting of journalists, raising concerns about their safety.

The recent incident indicates a troubling similarity to a previous targeting that occurred on July 31, 2024, when the occupying army targeted journalists Ismail Al-Ghoul and Rami Al-Rifi from Al Jazeera. This recurring pattern begins with a campaign of defamation and abuse against journalists, followed by direct killings.

The large number of martyrs places the international community under an urgent responsibility to react strongly. Reporters Without Borders has called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, based on the resolution issued in 2015 to protect journalists in conflict zones.

The ongoing Israeli disregard for international laws and resolutions puts these laws to a real test. The occupying state continually finds superficial justifications for committing these crimes, raising questions about the effectiveness of current international mechanisms to protect journalists.

Despite this disregard, Reporters Without Borders affirms that there are tools that have yet to be used by the international community to compel the occupying army to respect international law. These tools are capable of obliging the occupation to stop the massacre, provided there is sufficient political will to activate them.

Martin Rou believes that holding the occupying army accountable is an imperative necessity to prevent impunity, which ultimately means that international law has lost its power and effectiveness.

In this context, Reporters Without Borders has submitted four complaints to the International Criminal Court regarding war crimes committed against journalists. These complaints are progressing through the necessary legal procedures, but the situation requires faster action.

Immediate protection for journalists requires urgent practical measures, including securing medical treatment for injured journalists outside the Gaza Strip and providing safe shelter for journalists who continue their work in dangerous conditions.

It is essential to ensure that journalists have access to the necessary international protection to continue their vital media mission, as the current situation demands an immediate response commensurate with the state of emergency faced by Palestinian journalists.