New York: Europe and the Arabs
Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, said that the conflict in Gaza is the most deadly and dangerous for journalists, as the number of those killed during the conflict there reached about 140, according to the government media office in the Strip, which is much higher than any number recorded by the United Nations in Modern history during conflicts.
In an interview with UN News, the independent human rights expert warned that what is happening in the occupied Palestinian territory is “a very serious deterioration in freedom of media and expression and the rights of journalists.”
Khan added, "There is killing, impunity, and an absence of any kind of justice," in addition to a rise in arrests, intimidation, road closures, and a suppression of critical news coverage.
"I spoke with some journalists who told me that when they wear their jackets with the word 'press' printed on them, they feel more in danger than when they do not wear them," the Special Rapporteur said.
She touched on the conditions of journalists in the West Bank, warning that “there is also an oppressive and very dangerous environment.”
She said that there have been a number of arrests and detentions targeting journalists, citizen journalists, human rights defenders and others recently, simply for criticizing them and sometimes simply for exchanging information about what is happening in Gaza.
Regarding the state of press freedom inside Israel, Khan said, “We also see chilling rhetoric and we see targeting of various critical voices, human rights defenders, or even the Israeli media.”
Israel called for an investigation into incidents of targeting journalists, reiterating the importance of the role of the media during armed conflicts, and the right of people to know what is happening.
It is noteworthy that special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is an intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. Rapporteurs and experts are tasked with studying human rights situations and submitting reports on them to the Human Rights Council. It should be noted that this position is honorary, and these experts are not considered employees of the United Nations and do not receive compensation for their work.