Coming to Vashon: “GAZA: Journalists Under Fire”
Published 6:16 pm Wednesday, September 24, 2025
There are so many reasons to be horrified by the ongoing suffering in Gaza: the deaths of over 64,000 Palestinian people, mostly women and children; the obliteration of hospitals, schools, and entire communities, and Israel’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid to cross the borders into Gaza.
The intentional killing of Palestinian journalists and media workers, however, is particularly horrific.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that more than 178 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza — more than in the American Civil War, both World Wars and the Korean, Vietnam and Afghanistan Wars combined. This atrocity is not collateral damage but a crisis for press freedom, truth, and international accountability.
Independent media are necessary sources of information in conflict zones. When independent journalists are censored, intimidated or killed, atrocities go undocumented and unreported. Think of the reporting we receive from journalists on the ground in Ukraine. Without their courageous efforts we would be forced to rely on national propaganda machines and our understanding of that conflict would be deeply flawed.
Furthermore, lack of accountability for the death of journalists in Gaza sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom throughout the world. When those who murder journalists face no consequences, autocrats everywhere are emboldened to use similar tactics. The world cannot afford to lose access to independent, uncensored information from zones of conflict.
Israel has heavily restricted foreign press access to Gaza or limited it to Israeli military “embed” programs. Consequently, Palestinian journalists on the ground are the world’s primary source of information. Their work ensures that the stories and suffering of civilians are not erased and serve as crucial evidence for future justice and accountability.
Without these Palestinian journalists risking their lives daily to report what they see on the ground, the rest of the world would have little awareness of the realities of this conflict. Their work exposes human rights violations, counters government propaganda and is crucial for an engaged citizenry.
Protocols such as the Geneva Conventions and the 1907 Hague Regulations should provide protection to journalists in war zones, but significant gaps remain in their enforcement. Palestinian journalists have been targeted for their role as watchdogs and have become casualties of the war — a direct attack on the international agreements to protect journalists in war zones, and constitute war crimes.
Because we believe that this crisis of press freedom in Gaza is of critical importance, a group of Island organizations including Vashon-Maury SURJ, Vashon Island Unitarian Universalists, Church of the Holy Spirit, Vashon for Palestine and the Palestine/Israel Study Group is bringing the film “Gaza: Journalists Under Fire” to the Vashon Theatre at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The film is a deep dive into the targeted killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, exposing Israel’s systematic assault on press freedom and the human cost to those committed to telling the truth while under occupation and siege. In an era of rampant misinformation. these journalists are vital in providing factual information; without their work we would have a very limited understanding of this war, as well as the role of the United States in its prosecution.
We urge you to attend this film to learn more about the work of these journalists and honor the incredible risks they take daily to bring this war to the world. Following the film there will be a panel of local activists moderated by Susan McCabe to share reflections, respond to questions, and offer insights into meaningful actions we can all take to stop the suffering.
Merrilee Runyan is a retired teacher and lavender farmer who has been active in anti-war efforts her entire adult life.
