Filipino American Press Club of New York: Killing of Journalists in Gaza Is a War Crime

NEW YORK – The Filipino American Press Club of New York (FAPCNY) has issued a forceful condemnation of the killing of six journalists in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex, calling the incident a “savage massacre” and a direct assault on press freedom and international law.

In a blistering statement, FAPCNY declared that the deaths of the journalists are not only a tragedy but a crime against democracy and humanity itself.

“Journalists are not combatants. They are truth-bearers,” the group said. “To deliberately target or recklessly endanger them is to commit a crime against democracy and the global community’s right to know.”

The six journalists killed in the strike were identified as:

• Hussam al-Masri, cameraman, Reuters

• Mariam Abu Dagga, freelance journalist, Associated Press

• Mohammed Salama, cameraman, Al Jazeera

• Moaz Abu Taha, freelance photographer

• Ahmed Abu Aziz, correspondent, Middle East Eye / Quds News Network

• Anas Al-Sharif, correspondent, Al Jazeera

  
  

FAPCNY stressed that the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza violates the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. The organization said the killings demand more than outrage—they demand justice and accountability.

“These deaths are not just personal losses for their families and communities—they are a loss to the entire world, which depends on the courage of journalists to pierce through the fog of war,” the statement continued.

The press club called on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and the global community of nations to immediately investigate the strike and hold those responsible accountable.

“Silence and inaction in the face of these crimes amount to complicity,” FAPCNY said. “Killing journalists is a war crime. Press freedom is a universal right. Justice must prevail.”