UN rapporteur says impunity prevails for killing journalists in Gaza

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said Tuesday that the targeting of journalists in the Gaza Strip is part of a deliberate effort to conceal atrocities, describing her latest report as an examination of "truth" that has been "buried under the rubble." "What is happening is not incidental; it is intentional," Albanese, who briefed reporters virtually, said about the genocide in Gaza. She said she provocatively called the phenomenon "media side," describing it as "the systematic destruction of the media’s public function."

"In a genocide, the systematic attack on the media is part and parcel of the crime," she added. Asked for an update on the investigation into Israel’s 2022 killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, she said: "Nothing, nothing happened. So, the update is impunity." She noted the impunity was not only by Israel but also "impunity by the United States." Rejecting the terrorist label, Albanese said it "has been the label to kill everyone, to bring famine upon everyone in Gaza, to destroy Gaza."

Even if Israel has a right to self-defense under international law, she said: "Israel doesn’t have and cannot claim the right to wage a war against Gaza." Responding to a question on whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) had failed Palestinians, she said "the complementarity of international criminal investigation can be triggered," urging prosecutions "starting now with activating domestic courts." She said citizens of France, Britain, the US and Belgium who served in the Israeli army could face scrutiny, stressing it was "something that cannot be delayed."

Albanese also pointed to "the absence of so many media, especially legacy media" from Western countries, saying she read it as "possibly an act of solidarity" toward outlets named in the report.