As part of the 25th session of the Arab Broadcasting Union (ABU), currently taking place in Hammamet, Tunisia, Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Media and Communication Sector, affirmed—following a presentation by Minister Ahmed Assaf, Supervisor of Palestinian Official Media—that the media serves as a critical front in complementing political, diplomatic, and human rights efforts to rally broader support for the Palestinian cause. He expressed appreciation for the Palestinian official’s recognition of the sector’s effective professional role and its ongoing, coordinated support for the Palestinian side.
The Ambassador underscored that the Israeli occupation has committed grave and systematic violations for decades, including arrests, restrictions, and the blocking and banning of Palestinian digital platforms. He noted that the devastating war on the Gaza Strip—during which 230 journalists have been targeted since 7 October 2023—has rendered this small geographical area the most dangerous in terms of journalist targeting, constituting an unprecedented criminal violation of international law and conventions that affirm the protection of civilians, including journalists, in times of war.
Ambassador Khattabi stated that the designation of 11 May as the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Media conveys a powerful message: the Palestinian cause is not solely an Arab issue, but one of international significance that resonates with the human conscience in light of the profound injustice endured by the Palestinian people. He called for intensifying Arab and international solidarity campaigns in this regard.
The Ambassador further noted that the League of Arab States organised a symposium—bringing together media professionals, diplomats, and academics—immediately following the aggression on the Gaza Strip to counter the false Israeli narrative. He pointed to the growing collapse of this propaganda discourse and the global dissemination of its misleading content, which is increasingly being challenged thanks to the resilience of Palestinian media and sustained Arab and international backing. He also referred to the directives issued by the Council of Arab Information Ministers concerning the implementation of the Arab Media Strategy and the Arab Media Action Plan.
Moreover, His Excellency took note of the Palestinian proposal to establish a "special international criminal court" to hold perpetrators of crimes against journalists accountable. He also stressed the urgent need to complete an integrated Arab negotiating framework to accelerate more effective engagement with major global media corporations that exercise hegemony over the international media sphere with the aim of safeguarding Palestinian and Arab media content.
