RAMALLAH, October 14, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate warned of a wide-scale war being waged by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian journalists throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in an attempt to silence the truth and prevent the reporting of crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and colonists, as an extension of the comprehensive media genocide being carried out in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the syndicate affirmed that Palestinian journalists are witnesses to the truth, paying for bringing it to the world with their bodies and freedom, and stressed that Israeli occupation forces are systematically seeking to extinguish this light to conceal their crimes.
The syndicate warned against extending the systematic, bloody targeting witnessed in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank governorates, including East Jerusalem—particularly amid escalating attacks by armed colonists against media crews.
The syndicate added that the Israeli occupation has committed the worst crime against media and journalism in modern history through an unprecedented 'media genocide' during the war on the Gaza Strip.
It noted that 260 male and female journalists have been killed, more than 240 have been detained, and 38 remain imprisoned under inhumane conditions. Furthermore, it said that more than 150 media institutions have been completely or partially destroyed in a deliberate attempt to silence the voice of truth and erase evidence of these crimes.
The syndicate warned the international community, the United Nations and international human rights organizations of the danger posed by efforts by the Israeli occupation and colonists to replicate the media genocide in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
It stressed that the daily escalation in the direct targeting of journalists with live ammunition, physical assaults involving severe beatings, detentions and arbitrary judicial rulings against media crews signals a systematic Israeli attempt to intimidate witnesses to the truth and close the window through which the crimes of Israeli occupation forces and colonists are exposed to the world.
As the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists approaches, the syndicate called for urgent international action to address these serious violations, provide immediate on-the-ground protection for journalists, and hold the Israeli occupation accountable to prevent impunity.
It renewed its urgent appeal to international and human rights institutions, the International Federation of Journalists and the United Nations to immediately stand with Palestinian journalists, provide them with comprehensive on-the-ground protection against these crimes, and hold Israeli occupation leaders and colonists accountable to ensure they do not enjoy impunity.
T.R.
