RAMALLAH, May 4, 2025 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate stated that the Israeli occupation army has killed 210 Palestinian journalists since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

During a press conference and a rally in Ramallah on Sunday, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, the Syndicate added, "Our slogan on this day is 'Stop Media Genocide.' It is not just a phrase, but rather a reflection of a stark reality stemming from the scale of the tragedy and the bloodshed: 210 slain journalists, 665 slain members from their families, in addition to a large number of wounded, and the daily suffering of journalist prisoners in occupation prisons."

Omar Nazzal, Deputy Head of the Journalists Syndicate, said, "While journalists around the world celebrate World Press Freedom Day, Palestinian journalists—who are the first to commemorate this day—aspire not only to freedom, but also to the most basic of rights: the right to survive."

He emphasized that the concept of media "genocide" is manifested in the 2,994 crimes and violations committed. against the Palestinian press corps, demonstrating the clear intent and deliberate killing of journalists and their family members, and the destruction of their workplaces and homes, as part of an organized attack to silence the voice of truth.

Nazzal continued: "We commemorate this day with our eyes fixed on our colleagues in Gaza, and we affirm our loyalty to their sacrifices by continuing our relentless efforts to pursue the killers of journalists and the perpetrators of crimes against them, and bring them to justice. We hope that the free world will support our efforts in international and national courts to hold the criminals accountable and provide justice to the victims. We are proud of every Palestinian journalist who has persevered and persevered, continuing to perform their professional duties for the sake of truth, exposing the crimes of the occupation to the world."

He pointed out that this steadfastness, with the support of our allies in the International Federation of Journalists and dozens of unions, federations, and international institutions, "has enabled us to win public opinion and strengthen the international support network to achieve justice for Palestinian journalists and bring their killers to justice."

Palestinian Journalists Syndicate issued a statement on Friday calling for the immediate release of journalists held in Israeli detention, the restoration of journalistic activity in Gaza, the reconstruction of media institutions and local radio stations, and the provision of the necessary resources to support these efforts.

The syndicate urged the international community to uphold the global principle of ending impunity for those who kill journalists or commit crimes against them by expediting legal proceedings to hold Israeli occupation leaders accountable and bring them to justice.

It also called for increased financial, logistical, and moral support for journalists, their union and media institutions to enable them to continue their work and remain resilient in the face of genocide and brutal crimes.

The statement emphasized the painful irony that while the world celebrates World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Palestine is witnessing one of the most horrific and unprecedented media genocides in history, carried out by the Israeli war machine.

It added that this genocide is reflected in the killing of 210 Palestinian journalists—men and women—over more than 17 months of war, in addition to the killing and wounding of hundreds of their family members, the complete destruction of press institutions and infrastructure, and the commission thousands of violations against journalists in the West Bank.

K.T