Israel Continues Violence Against Journalists and Storytellers
The ceasefire gave us all the false sense of temporary relief, even though Israel continuously violated the ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu moved to cut food/aid deliveries during the holy month of Ramadan, and now the onslaught against people in Gaza/occupation of the West Bank continues, more aggressively than ever before.
In separate attacks, Israel killed two Palestinian journalists today. The murder toll of Palestinian journalists since October 2023 is now 208. That doesn't include journalists like Wael Dahdouh or Motaz Azaiza, who fled the strip before likely persecution.
The two killed were Palestine Today correspondent Mohammed Mansour, murdered in an airstrike in Khan Younis. Al Jazeera Mubashar correspondent Hossam Shabat was killed in a separate targeted airstrike while in his car, north of the enclave.
About a year ago, Hossam tweeted that he was a third-year college student before the genocide began. He also encouraged university students in America to continue their protesting, as it gave people in the Gaza Strip hope:
The video of Hossam Shabat’s death has been released; it is explicit, and viewer caution is advised… click here if you want to see it. This was his final message, likely written in advance because he knew he’d get murdered eventually:
Hours before Hossam’s murder, he uploaded this story on his Instagram:
The screenshot reads: “People of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt… where are you?” Hossam was only 23 years old.
The enclave against Gaza is now the deadliest period for journalists since the data on journalist targeting started in 1992.
No Other Land Director Abducted…
Oscar-winning director of the documentary No Other Land, Hamdan Mo Balall, was reportedly just assaulted and kidnapped by the IDF, after a settler violence assault in Susya, West Bank. Ammunition was fired, several people were injured, and the whereabouts of Hamdan are unknown.
This is likely retaliation against him and his team for winning an Oscar critical of Israel’s ongoing onslaught against occupied Palestinian land. Yuval Abraham, his Israeli co-producer, tweeted:
Mind you, this isn’t the first incident in which people in journalism/film have been targeted in the West Bank either. It’s an ongoing issue, and how prominent Palestinian Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered as well in 2022 by a gunshot from the IDF in East Jerusalem while working.
Enclave continues…
Last night, (Sunday), the IDF dropped missiles on the largest hospital in Southern Gaza, killing two people and wounding others, all while starting a massive fire. This included a 16-year-old boy who underwent surgery two days before the airstrike and a member of Hamas’s political bureau who was getting treated at the hospital.
The day the ceasefire was “over”, Israel launched a wave of strikes on Gaza, which reportedly killed more than 400 people, many of whom were women and children. All during the month of Ramadan.
Wrapping It Up…
The ongoing violence and escalation of hostilities in Gaza and the West Bank have made it clear that the ceasefire was nothing more than a fleeting illusion of peace.
Despite promises of relief, Israel's actions have shown a blatant disregard for the ceasefire agreement, intensifying its attacks and violations. The tragic deaths of Palestinian journalists like Hossam Shabat and Mohammed Mansour serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers faced by those documenting the human cost of this conflict.
Hossam’s final message, calling on neighboring Arab nations to stand in solidarity with Palestine, underscores the desperation of those living under occupation. The killing of innocent civilians, including the bombing of a hospital in Gaza, further highlights the continued aggression that has become all too familiar.
As the death toll rises, and as journalists, filmmakers, and ordinary citizens are targeted, the world must grapple with the harsh reality of the ongoing violence. The ceasefire may have ended, but the suffering persists, and the need for global action and accountability remains urgent.
It is so painful to read the details & feel unable to do more than to object, being unable to intervene directly to stop this. As someone else noted, we are hitting cruelty overload.