United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has warned that the systematic targeting of journalists across Gaza constitutes a deliberate campaign to conceal atrocities, presenting her latest investigative findings as an exposure of truth that has been "buried under the rubble".
"What is happening is not incidental; it is intentional," Albanese said during a virtual press briefing addressing the genocide in Gaza.
She termed the phenomenon "mediacide", characterising it as "the systematic destruction of the media's public function".
"In a genocide, the systematic attack on the media is part and parcel of the crime," Albanese added, underscoring that silencing witnesses forms a core mechanism of mass atrocities.
Impunity and legal accountability
Questioned on the status of inquiries into Israel's 2022 killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Albanese noted: "Nothing, nothing happened. So, the update is impunity".
She emphasised that this culture of unaccountability was fostered not solely by Israel but also represented "impunity by the United States".
Rejecting the broad application of the terrorist designation, Albanese argued that the term "has been the label to kill everyone, to bring famine upon everyone in Gaza, to destroy Gaza".
She maintained that even where a state invokes self-defence under international law, "Israel doesn't have and cannot claim the right to wage a war against Gaza".
Addressing concerns over whether the International Criminal Court had failed Palestinians, Albanese asserted that "the complementarity of international criminal investigation can be triggered", calling for immediate proceedings "starting now with activating domestic courts".
She stressed that citizens of Britain, France, the United States, and Belgium who served in the Israeli military must face immediate legal scrutiny under national jurisdictions, warning that action "cannot be delayed".
Albanese also highlighted the noticeable absence of Western legacy media from the briefing, suggesting it reflected possible solidarity with news organisations scrutinised in her report.
