UN Experts Urge Israel to Allow Medical Evacuation of Injured Journalist

Al-Wahidi, shot in the neck on October 9, 2024, at Jabalia refugee camp, suffers from paralysis and severe neurological and respiratory injuries.

UN experts have issued an urgent appeal to Israeli authorities, demanding the immediate medical evacuation of Al Jazeera journalist Fadi Al-Wahidi, critically injured while covering the conflict in Gaza. Al-Wahidi, shot in the neck on October 9, 2024, at Jabalia refugee camp, suffers from paralysis and severe neurological and respiratory injuries.

Despite repeated pleas from his doctors, family, and international press organizations, Israeli authorities have denied evacuation requests. Gaza’s collapsing healthcare infrastructure, compounded by ongoing military strikes, has rendered local medical treatment inadequate for Al-Wahidi’s life-threatening condition.

UN experts highlighted Israel’s legal obligation under international law to facilitate medical care, stating, “Al-Wahidi’s right to receive urgent medical treatment is undeniable, and the delay in allowing his evacuation constitutes a severe violation of humanitarian norms.”

While welcoming the recent evacuation of another Al Jazeera journalist, Ali Al-Attar, who was injured in Deir al-Balah on October 7, 2024, the experts expressed concern over the selective and delayed approvals. Al-Attar was only permitted to leave Gaza for treatment in Jordan on November 20, 2024, after weeks of appeals.

Mounting Concerns Over Media Targeting

The UN experts condemned what they described as a "systematic campaign" by Israeli authorities against Palestinian journalists, particularly those affiliated with Al Jazeera. Since October 2023, at least 182 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Israeli strikes, including 17 women, with two still missing.

“This alarming trend of persecution includes targeted killings, arbitrary arrests, bans on independent media access to Gaza, and the destruction of media infrastructure,” the experts said. “The denial or delay of medical evacuations for injured journalists seems to fit into a broader strategy to intimidate and silence media voices covering the conflict.”

Broader Implications for Media Freedom

The experts called on nations advocating for press freedom to intervene decisively, urging them to pressure Israel to uphold international humanitarian obligations.

“The international community cannot stand by in silence while journalists are systematically targeted, and media freedom is obliterated,” they said. “Access to medical care must never be weaponized against those reporting from conflict zones.”

A Call to Action

UN experts urged Israel to facilitate the immediate evacuation of Al-Wahidi, emphasizing the humanitarian urgency and international legal obligation to protect journalists and civilians.

“Every moment of delay threatens Al-Wahidi’s life and represents another breach of fundamental human rights. His evacuation is not only a moral and humanitarian imperative but also a test of international resolve to safeguard press freedom and uphold the principles of international law,” the experts concluded.

Additional Advocacy Steps

The experts also called for:

Independent investigations into the targeting of journalists in Gaza.

An end to the restrictions on media access in conflict areas.

Increased international oversight to prevent further violations of press freedom.

The case of Al-Wahidi, they noted, symbolizes the broader plight of media professionals working under extreme threats in conflict zones and highlights the critical need for robust global action to ensure their protection.