Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has strongly condemned the Israeli military strike that killed five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, Palestine.
In an official statement, Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, Head of MUI’s Foreign Relations and International Cooperation, expressed profound condolences over the deaths of Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. They were victims of a brutal airstrike that hit a press tent outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
“MUI considers this action a serious violation of the principles of journalist protection and press freedom in a large-scale conflict situation,” he stated on Monday.
The MUI expressed deep concern, noting that data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) shows at least 186 journalists and media workers have been killed in the last two years as of July 24, 2025, making it the deadliest period for the press since recording began in 1992. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has recorded at least 164 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed as of May 2025.
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Furthermore, the MUI rejected the Israeli military’s accusation that some of the journalists, including Anas al-Sharif, were “terrorists.” According to Sudarnoto, the accusation is unreasonable and a violation of international law.
“Labeling journalists as terrorists is an attempt to discredit and rationalize the murder of those who are critical of the Israeli narrative. This has also been condemned by various international human rights and press organizations,” he said.
The MUI views the killing of journalists as a systematic effort to silence eyewitnesses and limit independent documentation of human rights violations in Gaza. “Without the presence of journalists, a wall of silence will grow, and impunity will widen,” he added.
Therefore, the MUI urged the international community, including the UN, UNESCO, CPJ, IFJ, and other journalists’ organizations to demand an independent investigation into every attack on journalists. The MUI also emphasized that the press is the last bastion of truth, which must be protected, not attacked.
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The MUI called on all journalists worldwide to take action condemning Israel’s actions and to push the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to impose strict penalties on Israel for these crimes. [Shibgho]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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