A coalition of African journalists has condemned what it describes as Israel’s “intentional and deliberate targeting” of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, urging the international community to impose accountability measures similar to those once used against apartheid South Africa.
The group operating under the banner of African Journalists Against Genocide (AJAG) said more than 250 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign, calling it the deadliest period for the press in the 21st century.
Founded by Nigeria Info Borderlines host Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, AJAG brings together media professionals from over 20 African countries. In a video statement released this week, the coalition accused Israel of trying to suppress independent reporting from Gaza.
“The deliberate targeting of these journalists indicates the Israeli state’s clear strategy of suppressing the truth and silencing the media,” AJAG said.
“Without their voices and determination to document the atrocities, the world would be blind to the full scale of Israel’s campaign against a besieged population.”
The coalition likened the plight of Palestinians to Africa’s own struggles against colonialism, occupation, and apartheid, urging the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and other press freedom groups to demand justice.
“Reporting on war crimes is not a crime; killing journalists is a crime. The world’s silence and inaction make us all complicit,” the statement added.
Echoing the African coalition’s position, Dominique Pradalié, President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), told Borderlines that the killing of media workers in Gaza constitutes war crimes and represents a direct assault on press freedom.
“Killing civilians is a war crime. Killing journalists is a war crime,” Pradalié said. “We must stop the impunity of targeting journalists. The UN should adopt an international convention to protect journalists worldwide.”
Pradalié warned that independent reporting is under “serious threat,” adding: “Never in my years as a journalist have I seen this level of killing of civilians and journalists. Israel does not want any testimony or report of its genocide on Palestinians.”
As recently as August 11, five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza. Among the dead was Anas al-Sharif, a prominent correspondent who had reported from inside the enclave since October 2023.
He died alongside fellow reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh and three camera operators—Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa—when an air raid struck a tent near Al-Shifa Hospital’s main gate.
The strike sparked international outrage and raised the death toll of journalists killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to 238, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
