JournalismPakistan.com | Published August 01, 2024 at 08:41 pm | A PFUJ Media Release
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ISLAMABAD—The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned Wednesday's killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul and camera operator Rami Al Refee in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza during a protest gathering against the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari expressed their outrage over the targeted attacks on media personnel. "This is not the first time Israeli forces have targeted journalists. The Zionist state operates with a sense of impunity, encouraging its troops to target innocent civilians, including journalists who are merely performing their professional duties in conflict zones," the statement read.
It is noteworthy that more than 113 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli bombardments to date, highlighting the grave risks faced by media personnel in the region.
The PFUJ leaders called on the international community to take immediate notice of the situation and exert pressure on Tel Aviv to prevent the targeting of innocent civilians and journalists. "Had the international community taken action against the killings of media persons and the bombing of media offices in the past, these tragic incidents might have been prevented," they asserted.
Expressing solidarity, the PFUJ emphasized the bravery of Palestinian journalists and other embedded media personnel who risk their lives to report from the ground. "The journalist fraternity of Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Palestinian journalists and all others who are courageously performing their duties amidst such perilous conditions."
Photo credit: Free Press Kashmir
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