A coalition of African journalists has condemned what it describes as Israel’s “intentional and deliberate targeting” of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, urging the international community to impose accountability measures similar to those once used against apartheid South Africa.
Operating under the banner of African Journalists Against Genocide (AJAG), the group says more than 250 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign, making it the deadliest period for journalists in the 21st century.
Founded by Nigeria Info Borderlines host Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, AJAG includes media professionals from over 20 African countries. In a newly released video statement, the coalition called on global journalist associations and international bodies to speak out against the killings.
“The deliberate targeting of these journalists indicates the Israeli state’s clear strategy of suppressing the truth and silencing the media,” AJAG said.
“Without their voices, their eyes, their determination to inform, report, and document the atrocities on the ground, the world would be blind to the full scale of Israel's campaign against a besieged population.”
The group likened the plight of Palestinians in Gaza to Africa’s historical struggle against colonialism, occupation, and apartheid. It also called on the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and other press freedom groups to demand justice, stressing:
“Reporting on the war crimes of the Israeli military and state is not a crime; killing journalists is a crime. The world’s silence and inaction make us all complicit.”
Journalism is not a crime!
— Nigeria Info FM 99.3 (@NigeriainfoFM) August 21, 2025
Killing journalists is a crime!!
We condemn the deliberate targeting of journalists in Gaza.@sisiogelagos @palhouseldn @aljazeeraenglish @trtworld @trtafrika @theIMEU @GrassrootsLawTX @middleeasteye#Gaza #Palestine #HumanRights #journalists pic.twitter.com/nZbd0P36Kt
Echoing this condemnation, Dominique Pradalié, President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), told Borderlines on Nigeria Info that the killings of media workers in Gaza amount to war crimes and represent a direct assault on press freedom.
“Killing civilians is a war crime. Killing journalists is a war crime,” Pradalié said.
“We must stop the impunity of killing and targeting journalists. The UN should adopt an international convention to protect journalists around the world.”
Pradalié warned that independent reporting is under serious threat, adding:
“Never in my years as a journalist have I seen this level of killing of civilians and journalists. Israel does not want any testimony or report of its genocide on Palestinians.”
Recall that as recent as 11 August, five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Among them was Anas al-Sharif, a prominent correspondent who had been reporting from inside the city since the crisis began in October 2023.
Al-Sharif, along with fellow correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and three camera operators—Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa—were killed when an air raid struck a tent at Al-Shifa Hospital’s main gate.
The attack sparked international outrage and raised the death toll of journalists killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to 238, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
