Israel–Gaza conflict—Palestinian journalists
Statement
Hon Sophie McNeill (8:57 pm): I would just like to make a very short contribution tonight. I would like to pay tribute to the nearly 200 Palestinian reporters who have been targeted and killed in Gaza by Israeli forces. As a former journalist who has worked in Gaza and who is now in the very privileged position of making statements in a Parliament like this, I feel I must do whatever I can to highlight their plight. Israel's brazen targeted killing of Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif and his five colleagues yesterday highlights the unimaginable peril that Palestinian journalists in Gaza face and the Israeli military's complete disregard for civilian life. As Amnesty International says, Israel is not just assassinating journalists but attacking journalism itself by preventing the documentation of genocide. This is a deliberate and systematic attempt to cover up Israel's genocide in Gaza. Deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime under international law. Israel has killed more journalists in the past 22 months than were killed worldwide in the preceding three years.
Anas al-Sharif was just 28 years old. He was a young father. He was one of the bravest reporters of our times. I am so sorry we failed you, Anas. As a profession and as an international community, humanity failed you. Rest in peace, Anas. You and the 200 other murdered Palestinian journalists will not be forgotten.
