Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip last month resulted in the deaths of 10 Palestinian journalists, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate reported on Saturday. The syndicate documented 84 violations and crimes against Palestinian journalists in December, accusing Israel of targeting media personnel and committing "massacres" against them. In addition to the journalist fatalities, eight family members of journalists were killed, and three homes belonging to media personnel were destroyed. Five journalists suffered severe injuries from shrapnel and gunfire. The report highlighted that 20 journalists were detained or barred from covering events, seven were imprisoned, and there were 11 documented cases of live ammunition being fired at reporters. Ten journalists endured severe physical assaults, and incidents of equipment damage and theft were reported in both the West Bank and Gaza. A Jan. 3 statement by the Gaza Media Office indicated that the number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 202. The Israeli military's actions in Gaza, described as genocidal by critics, have resulted in over 45,600 deaths, most of them women and children, since the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. This is despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its military actions in Gaza. — Agencies
