Israeli soldiers view journalists from Hamas-linked media companies as legitimate targets, reveals an international investigation.
More than 100 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed so far during the war in Gaza. Several of them were wearing press vests at the time of their death.
The press vest was supposed to identify and protect us according to international law, but now it's a threat instead, says Palestinian journalist Basel Khair al-Din to AFP, who participated in the investigation.
Today's Gaza journalists have long known that their press vests do not protect them, notes Laurent Richard, founder of Paris-based Forbidden Stories, which led the investigation.
"Even worse – the protective gear can make them even more vulnerable", he writes in an editorial accompanying the publication.
The investigation reveals that some Israeli soldiers view journalists from Hamas-linked media companies as legitimate targets, report the participating media houses – including the British The Guardian.
"Shocking"
About a third of the killed journalists worked for media outlets with connections or close ties to the Gaza Strip's government, including the al-Aqsa network. In response to a query from The Guardian about the over 20 killed journalists from the network, a spokesperson for Israel's military says that there is no difference between working for al-Aqsa and belonging to the terrorist-designated Hamas armed wing.
It's a shocking statement, says law professor Adil Haque at American Rutgers University to the newspaper.
News reporting – regardless of whether it's seen as propaganda – cannot be equated with active warfare, argue several legal experts who spoke to The Guardian.
Shelled by tank
Israel's military claims not to intentionally harm or kill journalists. However, during the investigation, several Israeli sources hinted at "grey zones" and a "generous approach" to achieve the stated Israeli goal of completely destroying Hamas.
A source tells The Guardian that anyone "receiving a salary from Hamas" is considered a legitimate target for Israel.
Over 70 media offices in Gaza have been bombed since the outbreak of war, which began after Hamas's large-scale terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October last year.
The French AFP's Gaza bureau was attacked on 2 November. In the investigation, where video material from the news agency's own live broadcast from the building was analyzed, it is established that the office was shelled by an Israeli tank.
The Islamist extremist group Hamas attacked Israel on the morning of Saturday, 7 October last year. Around 1,150 people are estimated to have fallen victim to the terrorist attack, most of them civilians, and over 200 people were taken hostage.
Israel responded by declaring war. It has besieged Gaza, bombed the coastal strip continuously, and sent in ground forces with the stated aim of destroying Hamas.
According to Hamas-controlled authorities, more than 37,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the outbreak of war. Large parts of the area's buildings have been levelled, and aid organizations are warning of severe famine.
More than 100 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, according to Israel, since around the same number were released in exchanges and several others were rescued. Many of those still captive are feared to no longer be alive.
