On Tuesday, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate organized a gathering at the courtyard of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, to condemn the Israeli assassination of wounded journalist and the ongoing Israeli targeting of media professionals and outlets.
The gathering was attended by scores of journalists and media workers from both local and international outlets, alongside medical personnel, and human rights advocates.
Participants held up pictures of slain journalist Hasan Islayeh and banners demanding international protection for journalists and an end to the violations against Palestinian media.
Deputy head of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, Tahseen Al-Astal, denounced the assassination of Eslayeh, emphasizing that targeting journalists is an attempt to suppress the truth and conceal the crimes committed against civilians.
Al-Astal stated, “Palestinian journalists continue to risk their lives to report from the field. What happened to our colleague Eslayeh is a deliberate crime that adds to the long record of attacks on journalists.”
He urged the international community and human rights organizations to conduct serious investigations and hold those responsible accountable and called for the formation of an independent and impartial international committee to examine the violations against journalists in Gaza and document the ongoing Israeli attacks aiming to silence Palestinian voices.
He added, “We refuse to let these crimes go unnoticed. Journalists are not targets; they are witnesses to the truth. Attacking them is an attack on truth itself.”
Al-Astal affirmed that free speech will not be defeated, and that Palestinian media will continue its mission to convey reality to the world.
Journalist Ahmad Najjar, speaking in English on behalf of the participating journalists, said, “We stand here today at the very place where Hasan Islayeh was fulfilling his professional duty, to send a clear message: The machinery of violence will not intimidate us, and the bullets of occupation will not deter us from carrying out our national and professional responsibilities.”
Najjar urged international organizations to ensure journalists are protected in accordance with international laws safeguarding media workers in conflict zones.
He also called on Arab and global media outlets to fulfill their duty in exposing these violations and supporting Palestinian journalists working under some of the most dangerous conditions worldwide.
Journalist Marwan Al-Ghoul remarked that Hasan Eslayeh was not just a colleague but a powerful voice representing the suffering of Gaza’s people. He was always at the forefront, reporting fearlessly and without hesitation.
Al-Ghoul stressed that “the murder of Hasan is an assault on fundamental human and professional values. We hold the occupation fully responsible for this crime, committed in cold blood. It is time for the 
international community to act—not with mere condolences, but with real measures to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
He reaffirmed that “Palestinian journalism will not be silenced, despite all attempts to erase it. We will persist in our work with unwavering determination and ensure that the truth continues to be heard, no matter what the cost is.”
Hasan Islayeh was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike while receiving medical treatment after being injured in a previous attack on a press tent about a month ago, which resulted in the amputation of several fingers. Back in May 2024, the Israeli army also targeted with a missile Islayeh’s home in Khan Younis.
