Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun condemned Israel for deliberately targeting TRT Arabic journalists in Gaza, in an attempt to not only conduct “ethnic cleansing” but also “eliminate journalists.”
Noting that cameraman Sami Shehada underwent a leg amputation due to Israel’s attack, Altun said he extends his sincerest prayers and wishes to the journalist and his team.
“Israel’s deliberate targeting of journalists has been well documented by international organizations. They are not only conducting ethnic cleansing in Gaza but also attempting to eliminate journalists, who are simply doing their job by documenting Israel’s crimes,” Altun said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He noted that targeting journalists and civilians is unacceptable, adding that Türkiye is committed to holding Israel accountable for these war crimes.
“We know that Israel is especially upset with Turkish news agencies and their work on the ground because they have provided the best documentary and visual evidence to the International Criminal Court and other international observers. Anadolu Agency and TRT’s heroes on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank risk their own lives to get the news out,” Altun said.
The top communications director said that Turkish media outlets will continue to report the news and Ankara will not spare any resources for them.
“Although I have little faith that they will, Israel must abide by the international law and protect civilians including journalists,” he said.
The attack occurred when a TRT Arabic team vehicle, stationed in the Nuseirat camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip, was targeted by the Israeli army while preparing for a broadcast. Sami Shahada, an independent cameraman, was seriously injured and underwent surgery. TRT Arabic reporter Sami Berhum escaped unhurt.
Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people. More than 33,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
Israel’s attacks have pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has urged it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.
Israel killed at least 103 journalists since Oct. 7, according to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The number of media workers killed by Israel in approximately three months exceeds the total count of journalists killed throughout the entire six-year span (69) of World War II, according to the Freedom Forum, a Washington-based foundation advocating for press freedom.
In comparison to Gaza, during the 20-yearlong Vietnam War (1955-1975) 63 journalists were killed while 17 media workers lost their lives in the three-year-long Korean War (1950-1953).
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) based in New York, in the war between Russia and Ukraine that started in February 2022 and has been ongoing for about two years, a total of 17 journalists have lost their lives.
In Gaza, however, the issue is not only murder but how their immediate families have also been targeted by Israel.
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