On 5 July 2007, numerous media outlets screened the shooting of journalist Emad Ghanem, who works for Al Aqsa TV, during the incursion by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the east of the Gaza Strip's middle area.
According to the field investigations by Al Mezan, at approximately 10am on that day the IOF fired a shell on three Palestinians and killed them in the course of its military incursion in the middle Gaza area.
21-year-old cameraman Emad Hassan Ghanim was covering the incursion nearby.
IOF started firing at him.
He was wounded and fell on the ground.
However, Israeli soldiers continued firing at him when he was down.
The live scenes showed his camera was clearly seen as the shooting continued and prevented rescue teams to reach him.
Later, Ghanim was referred to Shifa hospital in a critical condition.
Medical sources said his two legs were amputated to save his life.
Al Mezan Center condemns the intentional targeting of a civilian journalist.
This is not the first incident of this kind.
IOF has frequently targeted and killed journalists in Gaza.
This includes the killing of British journalist, James Miller, in May 2003.
This conduct represents a grave breach of international law; particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits targeting civilians.
Al Mezan reiterates its calls upon the international community to intervene and bring to an end the violations by IOF against Palestinian civilians and civilian objects.
The freedom of the press has been a significant tool of documenting human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and must be respected.
The silence of the international community when such violations take place only encourages more violations.
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