The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have informed international news organizations Reuters and Agence France Presse (AFP) that they cannot guarantee the safety of their journalists working in the Gaza Strip.
This warning comes amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment and siege in Gaza, which has been ongoing for nearly three weeks. The IDF states that it is targeting Hamas military activity throughout Gaza and that these operations are deliberately placed near journalists and civilians.
They also mention that their high-intensity strikes on Hamas targets could cause damage to surrounding buildings and that misfires from Hamas rockets could endanger people in Gaza. As a result, the IDF cannot guarantee the safety of journalists working in this environment, and they have urged news organizations to take necessary safety measures.
The safety of journalists in Gaza is a matter of concern for Reuters and AFP, and the Committee to Protect Journalists has reported casualties among journalists since the conflict began, with fatalities in Gaza, Israel, and southern Lebanon.
Outrage Sparks As Israeli Content Creators Mock Palestinians In Videos
Meanwhile, global outrage erupted as Israeli content creators produced videos mocking the suffering of Palestinians enduring air strikes by occupation forces in Gaza.
Since October 7, Israeli content creators have been trending with videos that ridicule the dire conditions of Palestinians in besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where residents lack access to water and electricity amidst ongoing air strikes.
According to figures from the Palestinian health ministry, the relentless Israeli air strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 7,028 people in Gaza, including 2,913 children.
These mockery videos, created by Israelis of various age groups, including children, have incited anger among people worldwide. They depict Israeli individuals dancing, drinking water, and playfully flicking lights on and off in a callous manner.
Al-Jazeera shared a compilation of these disturbing videos, one of which featured an Israeli woman dressed as a Palestinian woman using ketchup and makeup to make fun of injured Palestinian children and women in Gaza.
These fatalities in Gaza mark the highest death toll since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Palestinian territory in 2005.
Earlier today, the Israeli army announced that its ground forces, supported by fighter jets and drones, had carried out a “targeted raid” in Gaza over the past day. They had conducted a similar ground operation using tanks and infantry the previous night in the northern part of the Palestinian territory.
These incursions followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement earlier in the week, reaffirming Israel’s readiness for a ground offensive.
