Palestinian journalists union slams CPJ review of Gaza reporters killed by Israel

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has strongly criticized the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for its review of reporters killed in Gaza, rejecting any external intervention that questions the professional status of its members. The syndicate issued a statement expressing its absolute rejection of the CPJ's actions and any similar attempts to classify Palestinian journalists.

This dispute arose after the CPJ removed 20 names from its tally of journalists killed by Israel. The decision followed obituaries published by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that acknowledged the deceased reporters' affiliations with these Islamist groups. The CPJ stated it does not include individuals involved in combat or inciting violence in its count.

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The syndicate expressed its absolute rejection of any external intervention in classifying Palestinian journalists or raising doubts about their professional status, including statements issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists or any other.

The Palestinian syndicate contends that Israel is engaged in a systematic campaign to sow doubt about Palestinian journalists, who are often the sole sources of information from within the Gaza enclave due to Israeli restrictions on international reporters. The syndicate warned that linking a journalist's status to political affiliations or personal beliefs sets a dangerous precedent that Israel could exploit to justify attacking and killing journalists.

As of the CPJ's latest update, its list includes 207 Palestinian journalists killed during Israel's offensive in Gaza, along with two more who died in Israeli prisons. The count also includes two Israeli journalists killed in Hamas attacks. The syndicate maintains that such reviews undermine the work of journalists reporting under difficult and dangerous conditions.

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Any attempt to link a journalist's status to alleged political affiliations, personal opinions, or intellectual backgrounds constitutes a dangerous precedent that the occupation (Israel) will exploit to legitimize attacking journalists and justify killing them.