CJJP calls for Canada to act on killings of journalists in Gaza

The Honourable Anita Anand
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Canada

Re: Urgent Call for Action on the Killings of Palestinian Journalists by Israeli Forces

Dear Minister Anand,

We write to you on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine (CJJP), a national coalition of over 75 journalists and media workers committed to defending the rights of Palestinian journalists and upholding the principles of press freedom, international law, and justice.

Our organization was founded in response to the escalating threats to Palestinian journalists working under conditions of extreme danger, censorship, and systemic targeting. We are deeply alarmed by the unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists who have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 by Israeli military strikes, in what international legal experts and human rights organizations have increasingly described as deliberate targeting of members of the press. In fact, the recent U.N. Commission of Inquiry — which concluded a genocide is taking place in Gaza — mentions the killing of journalists three times in the report. It said these targeted killings were one of the factors which made them determine it a genocide. 

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and multiple United Nations bodies, more than 190 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza — the highest toll for journalists in any war ever. The vast majority of these journalists were clearly identified as press and were killed while performing their professional duties. These killings represent not only a humanitarian tragedy but an assault on press freedom and the right to report.

We were encouraged by your remarks before the United Nations in August 2025, in which you specifically acknowledged the targeting of journalists in conflict zones as a grave threat to press freedom and democratic accountability. Your statement underscored Canada’s commitment to defending journalists and ensuring that those responsible for such violations are held to account. 

But the time for empty statements is over. With the official confirmation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, this litany of condemnation sans action undermines Canada’s credibility as a defender of press freedom and human rights — particularly when contrasted with Canada’s swift responses to journalists being killed elsewhere in the world.

Today, we call upon you to follow words with concrete action.

We, therefore, urge the Government of Canada to take the following actions immediately:

1. Publicly Condemn the Targeting of Journalists
   Issue an unequivocal public statement condemning the killing of all Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces and affirming Canada’s commitment to press freedom and international humanitarian law.
2. Support an Independent International Investigation
   Call for and support a fully independent international investigation — through the United Nations or the International Criminal Court — into the targeting of journalists and media workers in Gaza, and demand accountability for those responsible.
3. Protect Press Freedom Without Exception
   Support Palestinian refugees, including journalists and their families, attempting to escape the genocide in Gaza by applying the same standards and specialized processes Canada has employed to welcome refugees fleeing other crisis zones, like Ukraine and Afghanistan.
4. Pressure Israel to Allow Foreign Reporters into Gaza
   Israel’s denial of access to foreign journalists in Gaza is an unprecedented historical event. Canada should take immediate and decisive diplomatic action to compel Israel to allow foreign journalists safe and unrestricted entry into Gaza. Canada has a vital role in facilitating foreign media coverage of the situation in Gaza, which is crucial for gathering facts and informing the global response.                                                     
5. End Complicity
   Cease all arms and armaments transfers and military cooperation with the State of Israel by immediately imposing a two-way arms embargo.

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any democracy, and the protection of journalists in war zones is not optional — it is a legal and moral obligation under international law, including the Geneva Conventions.

We respectfully request a response to this letter within 30 days and seek a meeting with your office to discuss these urgent matters further.

Sincerely,

Inori Roy, Pacinthe Mattar, Sharon Nadeem
On Behalf of Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine (CJJP)
Founding Members, Executive Team.