Over 200 Palestinian journalists killed: Candlelight protest held in Accra

A candlelight protest was held in Accra on Friday evening in solidarity with more than 200 Palestinian journalists reportedly killed by Israeli forces over the past two years.

Speaking at the event, the Palestinian Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Abdalafatah A. K. Alsattari, condemned what he described as systematic attacks on journalists in Gaza and the West Bank.

“At least 249 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023, stressing that the killings represent an attempt to ‘kill the truth’ and silence documentation of atrocities,” he said.

Ambassador Alsattari expressed appreciation to the government and people of Ghana, as well as the media, for their support. He recalled the gesture of President John Dramani Mahama, who sent donations to Gaza and assured Palestinian children that “they are not alone.”

“The occupation seeks to continue apartheid and genocide against my people in Gaza and the West Bank. But we believe Palestine will one day be free,” he said.

Also addressing the protest, Lyla Adwan-Kamara, a Member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in Ghana, noted that the scale of journalist killings in Palestine is unprecedented. She cited figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which has documented 191 journalists killed in less than two years, a number far exceeding those recorded during World War II or the Vietnam War.

She said Israel often labels slain journalists as “terrorists” to justify their targeting, pointing to the case of Palestinian reporter Asal Sharif, who was killed alongside four colleagues in an airstrike in Gaza after warnings that his life was in danger.

“The killing of journalists is not just a Palestinian issue; it is an attack on journalism itself. If a state can label you a traitor and strike you in your car or tent while reporting, it threatens all of us,” she said.

The BDS activist urged Ghana to end any form of business relations with Israel and companies that are fueling and profiting from the ongoing genocide, while calling on journalists worldwide to amplify the stories of their murdered colleagues.

“Calling on the Ghanaian government to stop doing business with Israel and stop doing business with companies that are fueling and profiting from the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.”