On February 26, 2024, Syrian journalists across all provinces observed a moment of silence in remembrance of their Palestinian counterparts who lost their lives in the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, marking the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Journalists. This solemn gesture, initiated by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), aimed to honor the press martyrs within journalists’ workplaces throughout Syria.
Participants urged international bodies to fulfill their ethical and legal obligations by pressuring the occupying forces to cease their hostilities, hold them accountable for their actions, and immediately act to protect civilians and journalists in Gaza and other occupied territories. They highlighted the imperative to halt the deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists, who risk their lives covering the aggression and exposing the occupier’s attempts to dominate the narrative, mislead the global community, and obscure their transgressions. The recent Al-Aqsa flood operation was mentioned as a significant event that unveiled the true, horrific face of the aggressor and affirmed the rightful resistance of the land’s indigenous people.
This unified stance across Syria and Palestine underscores the shared struggle against the media-targeted terrorism in both regions, emphasizing the continuity of violence against media professionals as a singular, oppressive force.
Media organizations in Damascus and other Syrian governorates echoed this sentiment, with journalists raising banners demanding an end to the assassination of Palestinian reporters. Eyad Wannous, the Director-General of the Syrian Arab News Agency, during the observance held by the agency, condemned the Israeli occupation’s assassination of journalists as an act designed to silence the bearers of truth, perpetuating a narrative of falsehoods and media manipulation. These actions, he stated, constitute severe breaches of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and journalists as stipulated by international conventions.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
