Quds News Network

A journalist displays the blood-stained body armor of a fellow member of the media at the Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. On Monday, Gaza's Hamas-run health authorities put the death toll in Gaza at more than 19,400 Palestinians. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images In the realm of journalism, the concept of "recognition" holds profound significance, particularly for those journalists operating independently of established media institutions or official entities, both locally and globally. The absence of formal acknowledgment affects not only their professional standing but also poses serious risks to their safety and their right to protection from organizations committed to journalist safety, especially during escalated conflicts and wars. This recognition deficit places these media workers in greater jeopardy, exposing them to threats, targeting, and various challenges, including psychological stress, as they often lack the support and advocacy available to their accredited peers. Bridging this gap in recognition is crucial to safeguarding the rights and well-being of those engaged in media activism, who play a critical role in documenting injustices and sharing human stories. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, ignited by the Israeli offensive since October 7, has cast a stark light on this issue, with many Palestinian journalists, such as those from the Quds Network, remaining unrecognized despite their essential contributions. There have been many forms of targeting that Quds Network has been subjected to during the past period, as part of a series of successive strikes aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice and muting media coverage of the course of the aggression against the Gaza Strip. On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 6:20 AM, a pivotal moment unfolded in the coverage of Palestine by Palestinian, Arab, and international media. This change was sparked by “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” a counteraction by Palestinian resistance to Israeli aggressions against Palestinians. As the war progresses into its fifth month, every Palestinian journalist in Gaza has been navigating perilously dangerous conditions. Over 120 journalists have been killed, many alongside their families, and numerous others injured, reflecting the broader civilian suffering in Gaza. Israel's apparent strategy of targeting journalists has not spared the team at the Quds News Network, who have endured exceptionally severe challenges. Since the beginning of the war, the Quds Network endured successive attempts to silence its coverage of the Palestinian voice and obscure the truth on the ground. This culminated on October 27, 2023, when "Meta" permanently deleted the network's page, along with other affiliated pages and accounts, including its account on Instagram, which was suspended. It is crucial to note that the ban on the Network’s Facebook page, boasting nearly 10 million followers, was imposed without valid reasons. The action was based on flimsy explanations that contradict the very policies and standards of the platform itself, which the Network has long been upholding in its journalistic work. Launched in March 2011 through youth initiatives, the Quds Network faced smear campaigns and incitement from supporters of Israel and pressure from the Zionist lobby. These groups falsely claimed connections between the Quds Network and Palestinian military factions, despite a lack of evidence to support such allegations. The suppression extended beyond the coverage of the Arabic-language pages, with Facebook deleting accounts affiliated with the Quds Network on both Facebook and Instagram, affecting the English version of Quds Network with 1.2 million followers. Additionally, the interactive content page, "SharekQuds," followed by 3.7 million on Facebook, was also deleted. A colleague carries a blood-stained flak jacket belonging to Palestinian journalist Mohammed Soboh, who was kil