Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 22 August 2025 | 13:48 CAT

📸 “Over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza, a deliberate attempt to silence witnesses and erase history, says Dr Imraan Baccus.”

After months of relentless bombardment, Israel’s war on Gaza has entered a new and disturbing chapter, the systematic targeting of journalists. According to reports, over 200 journalists have been killed since the conflict intensified, a figure unprecedented in modern warfare.

In this week’s ASRI Report, Dr Imraan Baccus emphasised that international law is unambiguous on the matter: “Even war has rules. Journalists are civilians engaged in the essential task of informing the public. Under the Geneva Convention, they are protected persons. Their killing is a grave violation of international humanitarian law.”

Yet Israel continues to justify its attacks by branding slain reporters as “Hamas operatives.” Dr Baccus dismissed this narrative as a deliberate attempt to silence witnesses to what he describes as “a genocide unfolding in real time.” He explained: “Journalists record the first rough draft of history. This is a calculated attempt to erase testimony, erase accountability, and prevent the world from seeing what is happening in Gaza.”

Drawing on South Africa’s history, Dr Baccus compared the current suppression of media in Gaza to the apartheid regime’s censorship. He noted the power of images like that of Hector Pieterson in 1976, which exposed apartheid brutality to the world. “The apartheid state tried to suppress media, but it never embarked on such a mass-scale deliberate targeting of journalists. What Israel is doing today is far worse.”

The killings highlight a stark hypocrisy in global politics. “When Russia or China are accused of suppressing journalists, the West is loud in its condemnation. But when Israel kills over 200 journalists, the US and Europe remain silent, offering political and military support instead,” Dr Baccus said.

This double standard, he argued, has eroded the very foundation of international law. “Human rights and international law are supposed to be universal. Whoever transgresses them must be held accountable. But what we are seeing is that if you are a close ally of the US, you are exempt.”

The implications are profound. The killing of journalists not only robs families of loved ones, but also robs the world of the truth. As Dr Baccus concluded, the suppression of media in Gaza is not just about silencing a few voices, it is about erasing history itself.

Listen to the full ASRI Report on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr Imraan Baccus.