Ramallah, May 03 (QNA) -The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) confirmed that 262 journalists have been martyred since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023.

Head of the syndicate's Freedoms Committee Mohammed Al Lahham explained that 261 journalists were martyred in the Gaza Strip and one in the West Bank city of Tulkarm since the start of the aggression. Among them are six journalists whose deaths the syndicate has documented since the beginning of this year.

According to data from the syndicate's Freedoms Committee report, nearly 300 crimes, violations, and attacks against journalists have been recorded since the beginning of this year. Six journalists were martyred, and 10 others sustained direct injuries.

Twenty-two journalists were arrested, and 120 others were detained and prevented from covering events. In addition, 12 journalists were assaulted by settlers, dozens were shot at, and tear gas and stun grenades were used against them.

Other violations included travel bans, the destruction and confiscation of equipment, the imposition of fines, and restrictions on coverage, particularly in occupied Jerusalem and the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The report indicated that cumulative data since October 7, 2023, reveals an unprecedented scale of crimes and violations, totaling 3,983 incidents.

These include 262 journalists martyred, 223 seriously injured, and 188 arrested. Additionally, 187 media outlets and offices were destroyed or closed, 140 homes belonging to Palestinian journalists were demolished, and 139 attacks were carried out by settlers.

The report further noted that 713 journalists were targeted as family members, a dangerous indicator of the targeting extending to the social circles of journalists, creating immense psychological and humanitarian pressure.

The report also documented 240 instances of gunfire directed at journalists, 352 incidents of tear gas and stun grenades being fired, as well as a series of assaults involving beatings and kicks, attempts to run journalists over with military vehicles, home raids, confiscation of equipment and professional belongings, and travel bans.

The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) Committee for Freedoms indicated that these findings reveal a systematic and multi-dimensional pattern of targeting Palestinian journalists, based on direct violence, field restrictions, legal pressure, and structural destruction, in addition to psychological and social pressure through targeting families.

The committee emphasized that targeting journalists is not the result of a soldier's or officer's whim in the field, as all indicators confirm a decision at the highest political level within the occupation regime to target Palestinian journalists.

Mohammed Al Lahham pointed out that preventing foreign journalists from accessing the Gaza Strip to cover the Israeli occupation's aggression was done in collusion with the occupation's courts, which he described as sham courts that support the occupation forces and settlers.

He called for urgent international protection for Palestinian journalists, the opening of independent international investigations into the crimes committed, ensuring that perpetrators of violations do not escape punishment, and exerting pressure to stop all forms of targeting of journalistic work. (QNA)