Sana’a: In one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in modern history, the Israeli regime on Wednesday massacred at least 25 Yemeni journalists in Sana’a, deliberately bombing the offices of Al-Yaman and 26 September newspapers.
The assault, described by rights groups as a war crime, also killed 46 civilians and left Yemen’s media fraternity shattered. Among the victims are prominent reporters including Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, Abdullah Al-Bahri, Mohammed Al-Omeisi, Amal Al-Manakhy, and Essam Al-Hashidi—who died alongside his young son.
This marks the worst single attack on journalists since the 2009 Maguindanao massacre in the Philippines, when 32 journalists were murdered.
A Pattern of Targeting Journalists
The Yemeni Journalists Union condemned the massacre as part of Israel’s systematic war on the press, echoing the pattern seen in Gaza, where over 250 journalists have been killed since October 2023. Human rights defenders stressed that Israel’s attempt to justify the strike by labeling press offices as “military PR hubs” is a blatant lie and part of its long-standing disinformation strategy.
Experts argue that the killing of Yemeni journalists reflects Israel’s desperation as it faces growing resistance across the region. By silencing the media in Yemen, Israel seeks to erase documentation of its war crimes from Gaza to Sana’a.
Global Outrage and Calls for Accountability
Genocide scholars, human rights activists, and legal experts insist that the massacre is not an isolated event but an extension of the genocidal strategy Israel has unleashed in Gaza. They say the silence and complicity of the international community has emboldened Tel Aviv to escalate its campaign of murdering journalists with impunity.
The Yemeni Journalists Union has urged the United Nations and global press bodies to launch an independent probe, condemn the war crime, and demand accountability. Commentators in Yemen also called on journalists’ unions worldwide to stand in solidarity with Yemeni and Palestinian reporters who face systematic targeting for exposing the truth.
A Crime Against Humanity
Analysts warn that the massacre in Sana’a reveals the true face of a regime that “thrives in darkness and depends on silence.” The blood of Yemeni journalists, they say, joins that of Palestinian reporters in exposing Israel’s project of occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
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