Four named specifically, but all the journalists of Gaza are awarded
Three further Palestinian journalists have been announced today by Amnesty International as winners of Amnesty’s ‘Human Rights Defender’ Award. Bisan Owda, Plestia Alaqad and Ahmed Shihab-Eldin were named today, along with Anas al-Sharif whose name was published yesterday and all journalists in Gaza during Israel’s genocide are co-winners of the award announced by the human rights group’s Australian subsidiary.
Amnesty said its award – the first year that it has been issued – highlights the “extraordinary resilience, bravery and courage of journalists working in the most perilous conditions.” Almost two hundred have been murdered by Israel in the last fourteen months, many along with their families in targeted attacks on their homes – more than in any conflict in history and an unequivocal war crime in itself.
The award was made to journalists who have played an essential role in making the world aware of Israel’s genocide and other war crimes, often through social media as western media outlets stuck to parroting Israel’s lines, and who have risked their lives daily to get their stories out.
Amnesty decried the failure of western governments to bring the murderers of so many journalists to justice:
Despite these clear violations no perpetrators have been held accountable to date and have continued to target journalists with full impunity, and [Amnesty] condemns the lack of action taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.
More than two hundred thousand Palestinians have been murdered by Israel since October last year, mostly women and children, with many more maimed. Israel’s blockade is starving hundreds of thousands of civilians and forcing the wounded to endure hideous suffering without anaesthetics, antibiotics and often even without power or oxygen.
Owda, already an award winner for her documentary It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m still alive, said:
I’m here, in front of you, surviving more than 420 days. Surviving being killed by bombing, while I am helping my people by spreading truth and documenting the genocide. I don’t find anything more honourable on earth than defending the rights of defenceless people, the oppressed people.
Thank you to all the rights defenders on this earth and thank you for this award. Free Palestine.
Al-Sharif said:
What I hope to achieve is to provide international protection for the Palestinian
journalists so they can continue, until their last breath, to transmit images and words
from inside Gaza, in the complete absence of foreign and western media.I dedicate this award to every Palestinian journalist who continues to document inside
the Gaza strip. I dedicate this award to all my journalist colleagues inside the Gaza
strip. And of course, to the souls of colleagues that were martyred during this
war and during their work in providing coverage.
Alaqad added:
Winning this award is a powerful reminder that our work is far from over. It fuels my determination to continue advocating for Palestinians, sharing their stories, and ensuring their voices are never forgotten.
This is not just recognition of my efforts, but of the resilience and strength of my people, who continue to inspire me every day
And Shihab-Eldin said:
I am honoured and humbled to be included amongst the bravest journalists I know who are risking it all to keep us informed. They have taught me so much about what it means to bear witness, and what it means to be human.
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory spokesperson, spoke of the assault on journalism globally:
Media freedom and the safety of journalists are under threat around the globe. Each attack on journalists is an attack on press, freedom and truth. Journalists are not and should never be a target.
Keir Starmer has said he is committed to protecting journalists globally – but is currently escalating the British state’s misuse of anti-terror laws to raid, arrest, intimidate and criminalise journalists and activists who expose Israel’s crimes and stand for the freedom and self-determination of Palestinians.
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Your articles really are good. They are good for their coverage of important issues, but also because they usually aren’t long. Long articles are important, but who has the time to read multiple long articles? What you cover, and the way you write about it, is exemplary.
Well said, Lydia.
So often on political sites there’s a presumption you don’t have a life. They’ll include links to videos which turn out to be an hour long, or more. Who’s got time for that?! Or else their articles, as you say, are too long, rambling and in-depth for all but the most dedicated political junkie. Skwawky’s pieces are informative, concise and to-the-point. No fevered egos here! Bravo!
I hope this award not only highlights the sacrifices made by those reporting but also shames those also deeming to call themselves journalists who are complicit in keeping the reports of those in Gaza from being disseminated.
Those murdered journalists are martyrs.