by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – RENOWNED Zimbabwean investigative journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of overseeing the mass killing of journalists in Gaza during the ongoing war.
Chin’ono, a multiple award-winning journalist now living in exile, said Israel’s military has killed more journalists in the last 22 months than were killed in all major modern wars combined, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav conflict, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan.
“You (Netanyahu) have killed more journalists in just 22 months than all the modern wars combined, and you have done it deliberately with America’s backing,” Chin’ono charged.
The Gaza war erupted in October 2023 after Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages.
Israel responded with a relentless military campaign in Gaza, which has since displaced millions and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, with the United Nations and human rights groups warning of possible war crimes and acts of genocide.
Chin’ono accused Israel of deliberately targeting not only civilians — including women, children, and the elderly — but also journalists who document the atrocities, saying this was meant to silence independent voices.
“Spare us the crocodile tears (Netanyahu). You are vile, devoid of humanity, a killer committing genocide in plain sight — shielded and supported by America which has lost its top place in the world,” he said.
He further criticised the silence of many global leaders and human rights advocates, whom he claimed were fearful of challenging Israel and the influence of pro-Israel lobbies, particularly in the United States.
“They are terrified of losing comfort or privilege. But not all of us are afraid. Evil is evil, and you, sir (Netanyahu), are the embodiment of it,” he declared.
Chin’ono emphasised that Israel’s war in Gaza represents one of the most dangerous assaults on press freedom in modern history, warning that global indifference is enabling impunity.
Once forced into exile for exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, Chin’ono has now emerged as one of the few African journalists openly confronting Israel and its Western allies for what he describes as “state-sponsored genocide under American protection.”
– CAJ News