Gaza: RSF, with CPJ and FPU, calls on Israel's Defense Minister to urgently evacuate two Al-Jazeera journalists
Two journalists from the international news channel Al-Jazeera are hovering between life and death, injured by an Israeli strike in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU) are sending a public letter to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) – the Israeli Ministry of Defense unit responsible for facilitating logistical coordination between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Ali al-Attar and Fadi Alwahidi must be evacuated immediately.
Two reporters were seriously injured in recent days by Israeli forces, both hit while covering the Israeli army’s siege in northern Gaza. On 7 October, Ali al-Attar, a cameraman for Al-Jazeera, was hit by shelling in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza. The following day, Fadi Alwahidi, also a cameraman for the Qatari news channel, was gravely injured in the encircled camp of Jabalia in northern Gaza. Both are hospitalised in critical condition.
“With every day that passes, Ali al-Attar and Fadi Alwahidi’s chances of survival grow slimmer – their lives continue to be endangered by prolonged delays to the administrative clearance needed for their evacuation from the country. We call in the strongest possible terms for the Israeli authorities to immediately grant their safe passage to receive urgent medical treatment abroad. We will hold the Israeli authorities fully responsible for anything that happens to these two journalists.”
Read the full letter:
To: COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories)
Subject: Urgent request for humanitarian evacuation of journalists Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Alwahidi
Dear COGAT officials,
On behalf of our respective press freedom organisations, we write to you with great urgency regarding the cases of Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Alwahidi, both cameramen for Al-Jazeera, who were critically injured while reporting in Gaza.
On 7 October, Ali Al-Attar sustained severe injuries, including an internal cerebral haemorrhage, following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah. He is currently in critical condition at the European Hospital in Gaza and urgently requires specialised neurological care that is unavailable in Gaza. His family and Al-Jazeera are trying to facilitate his transfer to a suitable medical facility in Jordan or Qatar.
Fadi Alwahidi was gravely wounded on 9 October while reporting from the Jabalia camp. After initial treatment at Al-Maamadani Hospital, his condition remains critical, and he also urgently needs to be safely transferred to a facility outside of Gaza to receive appropriate medical care; the hospital where he is currently being treated has indicated that they cannot provide the necessary treatment due to the current conditions.
Both evacuation processes have stalled as the necessary authorisations are pending. We hold the Israeli government responsible for any deterioration of their conditions caused by this prolonged delay.
Despite our multiple appeals, COGAT has not responded to requests for the evacuation of these two journalists. We call on COGAT to expedite the necessary approvals for their safe transfer out of Gaza. Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Alwahdi are journalists who were wounded while performing their essential work of documenting the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Their safe passage to Jordan or Qatar must be assured, and they must be allowed access to life-saving medical treatment without further delay.
In addition to reaching out to COGAT, we have actively sought the assistance of the governments of the United States, France, and Germany, as well as the United Nations, to secure safe passage for both journalists. These efforts include direct communications with officials, appeals for humanitarian intervention, and coordination with diplomatic representatives in the region. Despite these endeavours, the possibility of evacuating these journalists is currently blocked due to a lack of Israeli authorisation for their safe passage. We urge COGAT to act swiftly and coordinate with the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the transfer of these journalists, whose lives remain in imminent danger.
The Israeli military’s duty under international humanitarian law is to protect civilians, including journalists, and to ensure the wounded receive timely medical assistance. Targeting journalists is a clear violation of international law relating to situations of armed conflict. We respectfully ask for your immediate intervention to facilitate the necessary permissions for this evacuation.
The lives of these two journalists are at imminent risk, and swift action is required to prevent further tragedy. We urgently call for their evacuation to a facility where they can receive the care they require and will hold the Israeli authorities accountable, if their conditions deteriorate further or if they were to die.
Yours sincerely,
Thibaut Bruttin, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Ruth Kronenburg, Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
