Ramallah – 10th March 2026 – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns the killing of journalist AMAL HAMMAD SHOMALI, a reporter for Qatar Radio, who was killed as a result of Israeli artillery shelling that targeted a gathering of tents sheltering displaced persons in the town of Al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip.
MADA affirms that targeting journalists, or exposing them to danger while they are carrying out their professional duty of conveying the truth, constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law, which guarantees the protection of journalists as civilians during armed conflicts.
The killing of journalist AMAL SHOMALI represents yet another loss for Palestinian journalism and comes amid a dangerous escalation of violations against journalists in the Gaza Strip, who continue their work under extremely hazardous conditions in order to convey the suffering of civilians and document events unfolding on the ground.
While MADA expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the slain journalist and to her colleagues in the media community, it stresses that the continued impunity for crimes committed against journalists encourages their repetition and undermines efforts aimed at protecting press freedom.
MADA renews its call on the international community and institutions concerned with media freedom to take urgent action to ensure protection for Palestinian journalists, to exert pressure to halt their targeting, and to guarantee the opening of serious and independent investigations into all crimes committed against them.
The Center also reiterates that Palestinian journalists will continue to carry out their professional mission despite the grave risks, in defense of the right to knowledge and freedom of expression.
