On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we invite you to join the debate and discuss with us and our experts the ongoing atrocities against journalists in the Middle East. Particular attention will be paid to the alarming number of journalists who have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October.
Journalists continue to be subjected to various forms of violence to silence their voices and prevent them from reporting.

From the last months of last year until today, the number of journalists killed has risen to an unprecedented level, especially in the wake of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. According to the latest data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the number of journalists killed during the Gaza war is staggering: a total of 94 journalists have been killed, 92 Palestinian and 2 Israeli. In just one month, from 7 October to 7 November, 37 journalists lost their lives in Gaza, making it the highest number of journalists killed in a single month since 2019. The harsh reality goes beyond Gaza’s borders: three Lebanese journalists were killed on the Lebanese-Israeli border, as confirmed by UNIFIL investigations that revealed targeted attacks. Apart from the deaths, journalists face a whole range of violations, including enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrests, legal persecution and digital harassment. This is also true in Jordan and Iraq, where threats, attacks and unlawful arrests are all too common.
As a result, calls for accountability and justice for the egregious attacks on journalists, particularly in Gaza and southern Lebanon, are growing louder. The evidence points to deliberate intent in many cases, justifying prosecution and conviction for such acts. A shocking UNESCO Observatory report has found that nine out of ten cases of murdered journalists remain unsolved, emphasising the urgent need to tackle the reasons for impunity and improve the protection of journalists who risk their lives to reveal the facts.
In our upcoming Qarib talk, we will discuss these violations, with a particular focus on the journalist killings and the persistent culture of impunity surrounding such crimes in Gaza and beyond. We will examine the motives behind these targeted attacks and the persistent impunity that shields perpetrators from accountability.

The participants in this discussion:

• Diaa al-Kahlout: Palestinian journalist who covered the war on Gaza and was detained by the Israeli forces inside Gaza and tortured. He has recently moved to Egypt.
• Ayman Mhanna: Executive director of Samir Kassir Foundation.
• Doja Daoud: Lebanese journalist who worked on freedom of expression.
• John Dagher: Head of Middle East desk at Reporters Without Borders.
• Mustafa NASSER: Head of Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq.
• The discussion will be moderated by Nada AbdelSamad, Qarib Chief editorial advisor

Speaker’s

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