Israel/Palestine

Palestinian journalist Sami Shehadeh, wounded in an 12 Apr 2024 IDF strike, lies on the floor at Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. (Photo: Reuters / Doaa Rouqa)

Alleged membership in a terrorist cell (Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or PIJ) results in conviction and death sentence without a trial, hearing, or evidence. This is called Extra-Judicial Killing (XJK).

Does any alleged terrorist, militant, or criminal in the Gaza Strip ever have a day in an Israeli court to fight any charges?

On 2 Jul 2023, the Times of Israel reported that over 1,100 Palestinians were held by Israel without trial or hearing, the highest figure since 2003. This is months before the 7 Oct 2023 sneak attack to seize Israeli hostages for a prisoner swap.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in 2023 and 2024, 141 journalists and media workers killed in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Lebanon. The above cited report claims the number is 201.

In contrast, Reporters Without Borders tallied 63 journalists who died over a 20-year period ending in 1975 while covering the Vietnam War.

In two years, with access to SIGINT, wiretaps, HUMINT sources, reconnaissance drones, and satellite imagery, the IDF has doubled what took the Vietnam War 20 years to do.


A digital rendering of Israel’s Ofek-16 reconnaissance satellite in orbit around the Earth, which was released on 14 July 2020. (Image: Israel Defense Ministry)

No one on the planet can dispute that journalists or World Central Kitchen (WCK) volunteers have been purposefully targeted by the Likud-led IDF in the slaughterhouse known as the Gaza Strip.


Top left to right: Saifeddin Issam, Ayad Abutaha, Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, Damian Soból, Bottom left to right: John Chapman, James Henderson, James Kirby. All were killed in an IDF missile strike on 1 Apr 2024. (Photo: AP)





Sources:

https://cpj.org/2024/12/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/

https://rsf.org/en

https://newyorkinsider.net/world/2024/04/06/idf-strike-that-killed-world-central-kitchen-workers-was-serious-failure-due-to-a-mistaken-identification/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-1100-palestinians-said-held-by-israel-without-trial-highest-figure-since-2003/