President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid homage to over 100 journalists killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes since the conflict started in October last year.
Ramaphosa paid tribute to the journalists as a delegation of experienced human rights and international law advocates were preparing for South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
One Palestinian journalist in particular, Wael Al Dahdouh, who works for Al Jazeera, has carried on working despite losing his wife and three children. One of his children, Hamza Dahdouh, who was himself a journalist, was killed in a targeted airstrike this week, according to reports.
Over 22,000 Palestinian people, among them over 8,000 children, have been killed since the war began on October 7, when Hamas attacked and killed over 1,200 people in Israel.
Ramaphosa was speaking on Wednesday at the funeral of anti-apartheid activist and photojournalist Dr Peter Magubane, who was buried at the Fourways Memorial Park.
Magubane was renowned photojournalist who used his camera to shine the spotlight on the horrors of the apartheid regime in the racially segregated apartheid South Africa.
“When we look at the world today, we see journalists being arrested, persecuted, and even being killed for doing their work,” said Ramaphosa.
“As we bid farewell to one of our own legendary journalists, I ask that we remember the more than 100 journalists and photographers that have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.”
South Africa filed an official complaint against Israel at the ICJ on December 29, accusing Israel of genocidal actions intended to destroy a substantial part of the Palestinian population.
"Indeed, bearing witness to the truth is a revolutionary act. Standing firm for justice is what must define our humanity, and that is what must define our own nationality,” said Ramaphosa.
“Our opposition has driven us to approach the ICJ as a people who once tasted the bitter effect of dispossession, removal, and state-sponsored violence. We are clear that we will stand on the right side of history.”
The president said the right to a free press was enshrined in the South African Constitution, urging members of the media to be the voice of the voiceless and to be a message of hope, not only a voice for doom and gloom.
“We call on the media to give South Africans a balanced view of the progress that has been made in the past 30 years, progress in education, in healthcare, in our constitutional freedoms,” he said.
Meanwhile, IOL reported that Justice Minister Ronald Lamola is expected to lead a South African delegation comprising diplomats and officials such as Presidency directors general Phindile Baleni, Department of International Relations and Cooperation directors general Zane Dangor, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development directors general advocate Doc Mashabane, and Ramaphosa's special adviser, advocate Nokukhanya Jele.
South Africa will be represented by human rights and international law lawyers including advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, advocate Max Du Plessis SC, advocate Adila Hassim SC, Netherlands-based John Dugard SC, British advocates Vaughan Lowe KC and Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC.
Junior counsels in Tshidiso Ramogale, Sarah Pudifin-Jones and Lerato Zikalala, are also part of the delegation representing South Africa.
South Africa is expected to make it's oral submission on Thursday morning, before the Israeli delegation responds on Friday morning.
The South African delegation will be joined by senior political figures from political parties and movements across the globe, including Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the opposition in the United Kingdom.
IOL also reported the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced their backing for the case, condemning Israel's reported murder of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded the following deaths in Gaza since October:
– Hamza Al Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist and camera operator for Al-Jazeera.
– Mustafa Thuraya, a Palestinian freelance videographer working for Agence France-Presse (AFP).
– Jabr Abu Hadrous, a Palestinian journalist and a reporter for the Hamas-affiliated Quds Al-Youm broadcaster.
– Mohamed Khaireddine, a Palestinian journalist who worked for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Ahmed Khaireddine, a Palestinian journalist and a cameraman for the Hamas-affiliated Quds Al-Youm TV.
– Mohamad Al-Iff, a Palestinian journalist and photographer for the Hamas government-owned local newspaper and news agency Al-Rai.
– Mohamed Azzaytouniyah, a Palestinian media worker and a sound engineer for the Hamas government-owned local radio Al-Rai.
– Ahmad Jamal Al Madhoun, a Palestinian journalist and deputy director of the Hamas government owned local newspaper and news agency Al-Rai.
– Mohamed Naser Abu Huwaidi, a Palestinian journalist working for the privately owned Al-Istiklal newspaper.
– Mohamed Khalifeh, a media worker and director at the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel.
– Adel Zorob, a Palestinian freelance journalist who worked with multiple media outlets, including the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice Radio.
– Abdallah Alwan, a Palestinian media worker and voice-over specialist who contributed to multiple media outlets including the Al-Jazeera owned platform Midan, Mugtama magazine, and Al-Jazeera, and was a radio host for the Islamic University’s Holy Qur’an Radio.
– Assem Kamal Moussa, a Palestinian journalist who produced visual and written news reports for the local privately owned news website Palestine Now.
– Haneen Kashtan, a Palestinian journalist who contributed to multiple media outlets including the local Fatah-affiliated Al-Kofiya TV and the local privately owned Baladna TV,
– Samer Abu Daqqa, a camera operator for Al-Jazeera Arabic.
– Duaa Jabbour, a Palestinian freelance journalist who worked with the local website Eyes Media Network.
– Ola Atallah, a Palestinian freelance journalist who contributed to -multiple media outlets.
– Hassan Farajallah, a senior position with the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV.
– Shaima El-Gazzar, a Palestinian journalist for Al-Majedat network, El-Gazzar.
– Abdullah Darwish, a Palestinian cameraman for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Darwish.
– Montaser Al-Sawaf, a Palestinian cameraman for Anadolu news agency.
– Adham Hassouna, a Palestinian freelance journalist and media professor at Gaza and Al-Aqsa universities.
– Mostafa Bakeer, a Palestinian journalist and cameraperson for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Mohamed Mouin Ayyash, a Palestinian journalist and a freelance photographer.
– Mohamed Nabil Al-Zaq, a Palestinian journalist and a social media manager for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV.
– Farah Omar, a Lebanese reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV channel.
– Rabih Al Maamari, a Lebanese cameraperson for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV channel.
– Ayat Khadoura, a Palestinian freelance journalist and podcast presenter.
– Bilal Jadallah, a director of Press House-Palestine, a non-profit that supports the development of independent Palestinian media.
– Abdelhalim Awad, a Palestinian media worker and driver for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Sari Mansour, a director of the Quds News Network.
– Hassouneh Salim, a Palestinian freelance photojournalist.
– Mostafa El Sawaf, a Palestinian writer and analyst who contributed to the local news website MSDR News.
– Amro Salah Abu Hayah, a Palestinian media worker in the broadcast department of the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel.
– Mossab Ashour, a Palestinian photographer.
– Ahmed Fatima, a photographer for the Egypt-based Al Qahera News TV and media worker with Press House-Palestine.
– Yaacoub Al-Barsh, an executive director of the local Namaa Radio.
– Ahmed Al-Qara, a photojournalist who worked for Al-Aqsa University and freelancer.
– Yahya Abu Manih, a journalist with Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa radio channel.
– Mohamed Abu Hassira, a journalist for the Palestinian Authority-run Wafa news agency.
– Mohamed Al Jaja, a media worker and organizational development consultant at Press House-Palestine.
– Mohamad Al-Bayyari, a Palestinian journalist with the Hamas affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel.
– Mohammed Abu Hatab, a journalist and correspondent for the -Palestinian Authority-funded broadcaster Palestine TV.
– Majd Fadl Arandas, a member of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate who worked for the news website Al-Jamaheer.
– Iyad Matar, a journalist working for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Imad Al-Wahidi, a media worker and administrator for the Palestinian Authority-run Palestine TV channel.
– Majed Kashko, a media worker and the office director of the Palestinian Authority-run Palestine TV channel.
– Nazmi Al-Nadim, a deputy director of finance and administration for Palestine TV.
– Yasser Abu Namous, a Palestinian journalist of Al-Sahel media organisation.
– Duaa Sharaf, a Palestinian journalist and host for the Hamas-affiliated Radio Al-Aqsa
– Jamal Al-Faqaawi, a Palestinian journalist for the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Mithaq Media Foundation.
– Saed Al-Halabi, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Ahmed Abu Mhadi, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Salma Mkhaimer, a freelance journalist.
– Mohammed Imad Labad, a journalist for the Al Resalah news website.
– Roshdi Sarraj, a journalist and co-founder of Ain Media.
– Roee Idan, an Israeli journalist.
– Mohammed Ali, a journalist from Al-Shabab Radio (Youth Radio).
– Khalil Abu Aathra, a videographer for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Sameeh Al-Nady, a journalist and director for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Mohammad Balousha, a journalist and the administrative and financial manager of the local media channel “Palestine Today” office in Gaza.
– Issam Bhar, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.
– Abdulhadi Habib, a journalist who worked for Al-Manara News -Agency and HQ News Agency.
– Yousef Maher Dawas, a contributing writer for Palestine Chronicle and a writer for We Are Not Numbers, a youth-led Palestinian non-profit project.
– Salam Mema, a freelance journalist and head of the Women Journalists Committee at the Palestinian Media Assembly.
– Husam Mubarak, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa Radio.
– Issam Abdallah, a Beirut-based videographer for the Reuters news agency.
– Ahmed Shehab, a journalist for Sowt Al-Asra Radio (Radio Voice of the Prisoners).
– Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar, a freelance photojournalist.
– Saeed al-Taweel, an editor-in-chief of the Al-Khamsa News website.
– Mohammed Sobh, a photographer from Khabar news agency.
– Hisham Alnwajha, a journalist with Khabar news agency.
– Assaad Shamlakh, a freelance journalist.
– Shai Regev, an editor for TMI, the gossip and entertainment news section of the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Maariv.
– Ayelet Arnin, a news editor with the Israel Broadcasting Corporation Kan.
– Yaniv Zohar, an Israeli photographer working for the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom.
– Mohammad Al-Salhi, a photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency.
– Mohammad Jarghoun, a journalist with Smart Media
– Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, a photographer for Ain Media.
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