Authorizes medical evacuation of 2 Al Jazeera journalists

Aftermath of an airstrike in Gazza

Two journalists — Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Al Wahidi — were critically wounded in Gaza and require immediate evacuation to save their lives. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urgently called on the Israeli military office responsible for humanitarian coordination, known as COGAT, to authorize their medical evacuation. Since the urgent request on Tuesday, Al Wahidi has slipped into a coma. 

CPJ and partner organizations are continuing all efforts to ensure that Al-Attar and Al Wahidi, camera operators for Al Jazeera, receive immediate, lifesaving medical treatment.

“The Israeli military’s duty under international humanitarian law is to protect civilians, including journalists, and to ensure the wounded receive timely medical assistance,” the organizations wrote in an open letter. “Targeting journalists is a clear violation of international law relating to situations of armed conflict. We respectfully ask for your immediate intervention to facilitate the necessary permissions for this evacuation.”

Full letter - 

Dear COGAT officials, 

On behalf of our respective press freedom organizations, we write to you with great urgency regarding the cases of Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Al Wahidi, both camera operators for Al Jazeera, who were critically injured while reporting in Gaza. On October 7, Ali Al-Attar sustained severe injuries, including an internal cerebral hemorrhage, following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah. He is currently in critical condition at the European Hospital in Gaza and urgently requires specialized neurological care that is unavailable in Gaza. His family and Al Jazeera are trying to facilitate his transfer to a suitable medical facility in Jordan or Qatar. 

Fadi Al Wahidi was gravely wounded on October 9 while reporting from the Jabalia camp. After initial treatment at Al-Maamadi Hospital, his condition remains critical, and he also urgently needs to be safely transferred to a facility outside of Gaza to receive appropriate medical care; the hospital where he is currently being treated has indicated that they cannot provide the necessary treatment due to the current conditions. Both evacuation processes have stalled as the necessary authorizations are pending. 

We hold the Israeli government responsible for any deterioration of their conditions caused by this prolonged delay. Despite our multiple appeals, COGAT has not responded to requests for the evacuation of these two journalists. 

We call on COGAT to expedite the necessary approvals for their safe transfer out of Gaza. Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Al Wahidi are journalists who were wounded while performing their essential work of documenting the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

Their safe passage to Jordan or Qatar must be assured, and they must be allowed access to lifesaving medical treatment without further delay. In addition to reaching out to COGAT, we have actively sought the assistance of the governments of the United States, France, and Germany, as well as the United Nations, to secure safe passage for both journalists. These efforts include direct communications with officials, appeals for humanitarian intervention, and coordination with diplomatic representatives in the region. 

Despite these endeavors, the possibility of evacuating these journalists is currently blocked due to a lack of Israeli authorization for their safe passage. 

We urge COGAT to act swiftly and coordinate with the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the transfer of these journalists, whose lives remain in imminent danger. The Israeli military’s duty under international humanitarian law is to protect civilians, including journalists, and to ensure the wounded receive timely medical assistance. Targeting journalists is a clear violation of international law relating to situations of armed conflict. We respectfully ask for your immediate intervention to facilitate the necessary permissions for this evacuation. The lives of these two journalists are at imminent risk, and swift action is required to prevent further tragedy. We urgently call for their evacuation to a facility where they can receive the care they require and will hold the Israeli authorities accountable if their conditions deteriorate further or if they were to die. 

Yours sincerely, 

Thibaut Bruttin, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 

Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 

Ruth Kronenburg, Free Press Unlimited (FPU)