The killing of two Palestinian journalists within 24 hours in Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation from Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC), which accuses the Israeli occupation military of systematically targeting media professionals.

The deaths come despite ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire, highlighting the precarious conditions for journalists in the region.

On Monday, January 13, 2025, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City claimed the life of photographer and journalism student Ahlam Nafeth Al-Taluli. Later, journalist Mohammed Bashir al-Talmis, critically injured in a separate strike in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning. Al-Talmis had been a reporter for the Palestinian Press Agency (Safa) since 2009.

Women Journalists Without Chains decried these attacks as part of a broader pattern of targeting journalists and civilians. It stresses that the Israeli military's actions amount to "genocide crimes and the liquidation of witnesses."

The deaths of Al-Taluli and Al-Talmis are not isolated incidents. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Israeli military killed 10 journalists last December, including five inside a live broadcast vehicle. Additionally, eight family members of journalists were killed, three journalists’ homes were destroyed, and five others suffered severe injuries from missile shrapnel and bullets.

An October report by Women Journalists Without Chains, titled “The Year of the Genocide of Journalists in Gaza,” documented the killing of 172 Palestinian journalists in the first year of the war, including 19 women. The report pointed out that many attacks on journalists were deliberate, with media crews targeted despite prior notification to Israeli forces about their presence.

Under international humanitarian law, journalists are protected as civilians. Article 79 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions explicitly states that journalists working in armed conflicts must not be targeted. Furthermore, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights safeguards their right to freedom of expression.

However, rights organizations assert that these protections are being flagrantly violated. Women Journalists Without Chains emphasized that the failure to hold Israel accountable, coupled with continued international support, has emboldened the Israeli occupation to perpetuate these crimes without regard for international norms.

Women Journalists Without Chains holds Israel and the international actors with significant influence over Israeli occupation authorities responsible for committing and perpetuating these violations. The organization asserts that full support for Israel, combined with the failure to enforce the rulings of the International Court of Justice and to prosecute those responsible, has emboldened the occupation leadership to continue systematic crimes with blatant disregard for international law.