https://arab.news/29ycs
When wars erupt, journalists are often the first casualties — not always in terms of physical harm, but in the silencing of their ability to bear witness. In Gaza, however, the war on journalism is not incidental. It is systematic, deliberate and persistent.
Since the onset of the current conflict, dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed, many others injured or detained and media facilities bombed into rubble. Israel’s repeated actions against reporters raise a fundamental question: Why does a state that insists it is “defending democracy” go to such lengths to suppress those tasked with telling the truth?
The answer lies in the power of narrative. Wars are not fought only with weapons; they are waged with stories, images and the shaping of public perception. In this arena, Israel has always been acutely aware that its ability to maintain international support — especially in Western capitals — depends on controlling the flow of information. Gaza poses a direct threat to this strategy.
The reality of life under siege — bombed hospitals, starving families, mass displacement — contradicts Israel’s carefully crafted narrative of surgical precision and self-defense. Journalists, especially local Palestinian reporters, expose these contradictions in real time, dismantling state propaganda with images too raw to be ignored.
