Press Freedom Prize Awarded to Palestinian Journalists
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 97 members of the press have been killed since the war broke out in October, with 92 of them being Palestinians.
UNESCO Recognition
UNESCO awarded its world press freedom prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza, where Israel has been battling Hamas for over six months. The international jury of media professionals, led by Mauricio Weibel, expressed solidarity and recognition for the Palestinian journalists working in challenging circumstances.
“In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances,” said Mauricio Weibel.
“As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression,” he added.
Audrey Azoulay, director general at the UN organization for education, science, and culture, highlighted the courage of journalists facing difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Conflict Details
- The war began with Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians.
- Israel estimates that 129 captives seized by militants during the attack remain in Gaza, with the military confirming 34 of them as deceased.
- Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has led to the deaths of at least 34,596 people in Gaza, predominantly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
