Don’t shoot the messenger: The role of journalists in Gaza’s health sector

Since the beginning of the current Gaza-Israel conflict in October 2023, over 62 000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 10 000 children, and more than 100 000 have been injured. Among those killed are over 200 journalists who were actively reporting the war. The number of journalists killed daily in Gaza far exceeds the figures from other conflicts across the globe. Journalism is very important in warfare settings as journalists record and document the attacks, and it is incumbent on the warring parties and the international community to ensure the protection of journalists who are civilians. Article 79 of Additional Protocol I of the 1977 Geneva Conventions stipulates the protections of journalists as follows: “Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians within the meaning of Article 50, paragraph 1.” Therefore, targeting journalists during a war means targeting civilians and it is a breach of the Geneva Convention.