The killing of journalists in the Israel–Hamas war, along with other acts of violence against journalists, marks the deadliest period for journalists in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict since 1992 and the deadliest conflict for journalists in the 21st century.[1] According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of 5 April 2024 the conflict in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon had claimed the lives of 108 Palestinian, 3 Lebanese and 2 Israeli journalists. A July 2024 count by the Gaza government media office placed the number of Palestinian journalists killed at 160.[2]
On 30 January 2024, the head of the Committee to Protect Journalists stated, "Israel's war on Gaza is more deadly to journalists than any previous war".[3] [4] Israeli airstrikes additionally damaged or destroyed an estimated 48 media facilities in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders has reported that the Israeli army intentionally targeted Palestinian and Lebanese journalists. The Guardian stated that contrary to international law, Israel had targeted Hamas-affiliated Palestinian journalists despite their non-involvement in combat, thus disputing Israel's denial of targeting journalists. In 2023, nearly 75% of journalists killed worldwide were Palestinians who had died in Israel’s war in Gaza.[5] [6]
See also: List of journalists killed in the Israel–Hamas war and Casualties of the Israel–Hamas war.
The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has condemned the spate of deaths and restated that: "Targeting journalists is a stark violation of press freedom and international human rights law".[7] The Committee to Protect Journalists stated, "More journalists were killed in the first three months of the Israel-Gaza war than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year".[8]
See also: Attacks on journalists during the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present).
On 7 October, Israeli police damaged equipment of a television crew reporting in Ashkelon.[9] On the same day, a journalist named Omar Abu Shawish was killed in Gaza.[10]
Journalists Mohammed El Salhi, Ibrahim Mohamed Lafi, Mohamed Jarghoun, Ibrahim Qanan, Nidal Al Wahidi, and Haitham Abdelwahid also faced various forms of violence or went missing.[11] [12] [13]
On 10 October 2023, the Hajji Tower airstrike destroyed an apartment block housing journalists' offices, killing at least three journalists along with civilians.[14] [15] [16] [17] Salam Khalil, the head of the Gaza Journalists Syndicate's Committee of Women Journalists, was buried under the rubble of her home together with her family in an Israeli strike on the same day and presumed dead. She was subsequently found to be alive with her children.[18] [19]
In October, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six others were wounded by the IDF in southern Lebanon.[20] A February 2024 report by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon concluded that an Israeli tank killed Abadallah when it fired at "clearly identifiable journalists", and that this broke international law.[21] The report "assessed that there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line at the time of the incident", with no records of any exchange of fire across the border for the 40 minutes before the tank firing.[21] The Israel Defense Forces responded to the United Nations report by claiming that Hezbollah attacked them, so tank fire was used to retaliate.[21]
On 17 November, the Turkish news channel TRT World released footage showing the Israeli police attacking their news crew, leading the Turkish minister of communications Fahrettin Altun to say, “This ugly attack has added a new embarrassment to Israel's record on press freedom."[22] On 19 November, six media professionals were killed by Israeli forces in just 24 hours.[23] On 3 December, the Committee to Protect Journalists stated 54 Palestinian journalists had been killed in the war thus far.[24] On 14 December, the United Nations released a statement that said, "Gaza has seemingly become the deadliest place for journalists – and their families – in the world."[25] Following an Israeli attack on a journalists' tent at the Al-Aqsa Hospital on 31 March 2024, Al Jazeera English stated, "Journalists have been systematically targeted throughout this conflict."[26]
On 4 December, nine family members of CNN producer Ibrahim Dahman were killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza.[27] On 11 December, an airstrike on the home of journalist Anas al-Sharif resulted in the death of his father.[28] On 8 January 2024, the mother of Al Arabiya journalist Ahmad al-Batta, and the wife and children of journalist Sameer Radi, were killed in airstrikes.[29] The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate stated on 4 February that 70 journalists had lost close family members.[30] On 28 February, a Palestinian journalist stated that an Israeli bombing had killed his pregnant wife, three-year-old son, and 20 other people.[31] Hussein Jaber, an UNRWA photographer, stated that his five-year-old daughter was killed while his family was evacuating Gaza City in December 2023, stating, "Heavy gunfire broke out, and I saw how Salma was hit in the neck in front of my eyes".[32] [33]
Several members of the family of Al Jazeera Arabics Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh were killed in an Israeli airstrike on 25 October in the Nuseirat refugee camp, south of Wadi Gaza, where they had been sheltering after following the Israeli order for Palestinian civilians to move south from northern Gaza.[34] Al Jazeera condemned the killings, calling it an "indiscriminate attack".[35] Dahdouh, speaking to Al Jazeera, said "There is no safe place in Gaza at all".[36] The Israeli army confirmed it had conducted an airstrike in the area near where Dahdouh's family had been sheltering, saying they were targeting "Hamas terrorist infrastructure".[37] Dahdouh himself was later injured in an Israeli missile strike in Khan Younis while covering the Haifa School airstrike.[38] [39] [40]
Dahdouh's son Hamza al-Dahdouh, also a journalist, was killed with a colleague by an Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in Khan Younis on 7 January 2024.[41] Reporters Without Borders stated it appeared a single rocket had fallen on Dahdouh's car.[42] The IDF said that the pair were traveling with a "terror operative" who was operating a drone and that they "identified and struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft in a way that put IDF forces at risk".[43] According to the Washington Post, the IDF changed their statement the following day, when IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that their use of a drone to film made them appear to be terrorists. After a March 2024 investigation,The Washington Post concluded that there were "no indications" that Dahdouh had been "operating as anything other than a journalist that day" because experts said there was no evidence of any "military deployments or militant activity" in the vicinity of the rubble that eleven journalists had traveled from Rafah to report on after an Israeli airstrike earlier in the day. In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated he was "deeply sorry" for the "unimaginable loss".[44] Wael Dahdouh stated, "Hamza was not part of me. He was all of me."[45]
See also: Israeli war crimes. During the conflict, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) claimed that the Israeli army had deliberately targeted journalists.[46] [47] [48] An RSF investigation said that Israel had targeted journalists in missile strikes on 13 October that killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah and injured four others. These two Israeli missile strikes, 30 seconds apart, hit a group of seven journalists in southern Lebanon who were reporting on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In a video, the journalists are seen wearing vests and helmets identifying them as "PRESS". The marking was also present on the roof of their car, which exploded after being hit by the second missile.[49]
According to the Council of Europe, the intentional targeting of journalists constitutes a war crime.[50] The killing of journalists by Israeli forces in Gaza had been a recurring issue, with previous incidents in 2018 and 2021.[51] [52] Earlier in 2023, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released a report stating that 20 journalists had been killed by Israeli military fire since 2001, for which "to date, no one has been held accountable".
An investigation by The Guardian in June 2024 disputed Israel's denial of targeting media personnel, citing that some in the Israeli military have viewed journalists Hamas or its affiliates media as legitimate targets.[6] At least 23 journalists had been killed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, who worked for Al-Aqsa media network, according to ARIJ, a Jordanian media non-profit.[6] An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that Israel does not differentiate between media workers and militants working for Hamas, a statement which the Guardian said had raised alarm among legal experts, as under the laws of war journalists are protected unless they participate in combat operations.[6] The UN’s special rapporteur on the protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, stated that Israel had "spread disinformation about journalists being linked to militants" and that it failed to prove such claims.[6] ARIJ surveyed 200 Gaza-based journalists, who almost all had been displaced, and reported that their homes had been bombed while sleeping with their families.[6]
| Hajji Tower airstrike | |
| Partof: | the 2023 Israel–Hamas war |
| Location: | Gaza strip |
| Type: | Airstrike |
| Fatalities: | 3+[53] [54] |
| Injuries: | Dozens |
On 10 October 2023, amid the Israel–Hamas war, Israeli aircraft bombed a residential building called Hajji Tower in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-run Gaza media office, three journalists covering the evacuation of a nearby building were killed, and an unknown number of people were injured. Journalists were present after a resident in a nearby building had reported receiving a phone call from the Israeli military warning of an imminent strike, and the building was being evacuated. The strike hit another building closer to the journalists.[55] Hisham al-Nawajha sustained severe injuries and later died at Al-Shifa Medical Complex.[56]
According to Israel, Ismail Abu Omar, a journalist with Al Jazeera, was a deputy company commander in a Hamas battalion and participated in the October 7 attacks; during the attacks he shared a video in which he can be heard saying "The brothers advanced, 'Masha'Allah' may God bless".[57] [58] Abu Omar, along with camera man Ahmad Matar, was wounded in a drone strike on 13 February; Al Jazeera denied and condemned the Israeli accusations, stating "Al Jazeera Media Network rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ attempt to justify the killing and targeting of journalists. The Network condemns the accusations against its journalists and recalls Israel's long record of lies and fabrication of evidence through which it seeks to hide its heinous crimes."[59] [60]
During operations in Northern Gaza, Israel stated that they recovered documents revealing that Mohamed Washah, a journalist with Al Jazeera, was a commander in Hamas' anti-tank unit, and did research and development for their air unit. Israel released images that appeared to show Washah training with anti-tank weaponry, as well as working with others weapons and drones.[61]
Four Israeli journalists and photographers were killed on the 7 October amid the Hamas attack on Israel, including Yaniv Zohar, a photographer for Israel Hayom, who was killed along with his wife and two daughters in Nahal Oz massacre;[62] Roy Edan, a photographer for Ynet, who was killed in the Kfar Aza massacre;[63] and two editors who were killed in the Re'im music festival massacre: Shai Regev, an entertainment news editor for Ma'ariv,[64] and Ayelet Arnin, an editor for KAN.[65]
Israeli photojournalists driving in a convoy towards Re'im were attacked by Hamas militants, as they were documenting the scene of one of the massacres.[66] The journalists were rescued by IDF reservists after a firefight that lasted roughly half an hour.
Alongside those killed, missing or detained, the Committee to Protect Journalists has received numerous reports of damage done to journalists' offices and homes, and estimates that "48 media facilities in Gaza have been hit or destroyed".[7] On 5 February 2024, a Palestinian journalist shared verified footage of a residential building in the Al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis on fire, stating that Israel had targeted the homes of two journalists.[67]
In Gaza, Mohammed Balousha, a journalist who broke the story of premature babies dead at the Nasr pediatric hospital, was shot and injured by the IDF.[68] Hossam Shabat stated the IDF had threatened to bomb his house unless he left Beit Hanoun, which they did after he refused to leave.[69] On 29 December, two Al Jazeera reporters in the West Bank were attacked and beaten by Israeli soldiers.[70] The Canadian government announced that a Canadian citizen journalist and aid worker Mansour Shouman was reported missing and feared detained or killed while evacuating from Khan Younis to Rafah.[71] A journalist had his leg amputated after being shot by an Israeli sniper drone in February 2024.[72] Footage by Shehab News Agency showed journalists being targeted by Israeli gunfire in Gaza City on 20 February.[73] On 27 February, Al Jazeera journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum was nearly hit by an Israeli drone attack, stating, "We don’t know the reason for this attack, if it was done to prevent us from reporting on the war… It is absolute chaos."[74] Ismail al-Ghoul, an journalist at Al-Shifa Hospital during Israel's March 2024 raid, stated journalists were stripped naked, forced to lie on their stomachs, blindfolded, and interrogated after twelve hours.[75]
In Israel, a right-wing mob stormed the home of Israeli journalist Israel Frey and forced him into hiding after he dedicated a prayer to the victims of the war in Gaza, threatening his family.[7] [76] In June 2024, journalists were attacked by far-right Israelis during the Jerusalem Day march.[77] [78]
Lucciano Zaccara, a professor at Qatar University, stated "I don't think there is another situation like this in any other conflict zone".[79] The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to end Israeli abuses against journalists.[80] Jeremy Scahill stated Israel was "systematically killing the Palestinian journalists".[81] Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian foreign minister, stated journalists in Gaza needed to be protected.[82] Hassan Barari, an international studies professor at Qatar University, stated, "They are targeting Al Jazeera correspondents simply because they want to silence them".[83]
Commenting on a statement by a senior IDF spokesperson that there was "no difference" between working for the Al-Aqsa media network and belonging to Hamas's armed wing, Adil Haque, a law professor at Rutgers University, described the notion put forward by the spokesperson as "a complete misunderstanding or just a wilful disregard for international law ... If a journalist is not part of Hamas's military wing, if they are not a fighter by role or function, then they're a civilian unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities." Haque added, "It is shocking to hear that a member of the IDF would openly and publicly reveal either their ignorance or their disregard for this fundamental principle."[84] The IDF subsequently issued a statement distancing itself from the spokesperson's comments.
In February 2024, following an Israeli drone strike that severely wounded several Al Jazeera correspondents, the U.S. Secretary of State spokesman stated, "We continue to engage with the government of Israel to make clear that journalists ought to be protected."[85] The editorial board of the Financial Times wrote of Palestinian journalists in Gaza: "The role of the brave journalists informing the world of what is unfolding becomes ever more important. Yet they are also enduring incredible suffering and appalling losses."[86] On 29 February 2024, more than 30 news organizations, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters signed an open letter in solidarity with the journalists of Gaza.[87]
The secretary general of the United Nations Antonio Guterres stated, "I am deeply troubled by the number of journalists that have been killed in this conflict."[88] In August 2024, OHCHR condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalists Ismail Al-Ghoul and Rami Al-Rifi, stating, "Palestinian journalists play a critical role in informing the world of the reality in Gaza, where Israel has not allowed international journalists to enter. Silencing Palestinian journalists conceals the shocking reality in Gaza."[89]
Lebanon denounced the killing of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed during an Israeli artillery strike aimed at a group of reporters. Following Abdallah's death, the Lebanese army conducted an on-site assessment, affirming that Israel had launched the missile that killed him.[90] Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has instructed its mission to the UN in Beirut to express deep concerns regarding what they perceive as a clear infringement on freedom of opinion and press. Additionally, Lebanon is preparing to file a formal complaint with the UN Security Council, accusing Israel of intentionally causing Abdallah's death.[91] [92]
Abu Omar, an Al Jazeera journalist severely wounded by an Israeli drone strike in Rafah, stated in February 2024, "We will continue the coverage. And we will continue to document Israel's crimes and to show our people's suffering and worries in the Gaza Strip."[93] Wael Al-Dahdouh, who lost multiple members of his family and was himself wounded by an Israeli military attack, stated, "Journalists are facing a massacre, a bloodbath in Gaza" and called "for this massacre to stop."[94] [95] Motaz Azaiza stated, "Israel won't allow international journalists into Gaza and is killing those reporting from within. It is a deliberate attempt to obscure the Palestinian narrative and erase the truth."[96]
Tareq Abu Azzoum, an Al Jazeera English correspondent in Gaza stated, "Palestinian journalists are heroes. Sometimes they have lost their family members and in the same hour they return back to stand in front of the camera only for one purpose: to keep the world informed."[97]
The Israeli military said it using tank and artillery fire in the vicinity to deter a potential infiltration from Lebanon at the time Issam Abdallah was killed. They stated that their actions were in response to Hezbollah fire along the Israel–Lebanon border, and the incident is currently being reviewed. The Israeli army also initiated an investigation into the circumstances circumstances surrounding Abdallah's death.[92]
On 9 November, following an article published by HonestReporting, Israeli officials suggested that several freelance Palestinian photographers who had documented the 7 October attack in real time must have known of it in advance.[98] [99] Outlets that obtained the photos, including AP, Reuters, CNN and the New York Times, denied embedding their reporters with the attackers or having any prior knowledge of the attack.[100] One of the freelance photographers, who had previously published a photo of himself being kissed on the cheek by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was subsequently dismissed by CNN and AP. Nevertheless, MK Danny Danon suggested that journalists who "took part in recording the assault" would be "eliminated."[101] Gil Hoffman, executive director of HonestReporting, admitted the group had no evidence to back up its claims, and that they were satisfied with journalists' explanations that they did not know about the attacks beforehand.[102]
In February 2024, Al Jazeera stated, "The dangers faced by Gaza's visual journalists has been amplified by Israeli efforts to legitimise targeting them".[103]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is actively looking into all cases of journalists affected—whether killed, injured, detained, or missing—due to the conflict.[104] CPJ stated this was the deadliest conflict for journalists in the past 30 years.[105] They have urged Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, make the results of the investigation public, and promptly take measures to guarantee the safety of media personnel covering the conflict.[106] The CPJ president stated the killing of journalists in Gaza "appear to have been targeted."[107] Reuters has called on Israel to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Abdallah's death.[108]
On 1 November, Reporters Without Borders asked the International Criminal Court to begin a priority war crimes investigation into the killing of nine journalists.[109] RSF noted 41 journalists had been killed during the first month of the conflict, stating multiple journalists had been killed by Israel in their homes.[110] Israel maintains records of the place and residence of every person in Gaza.[111] RSF claimed Israel had used targeted strikes to kill journalists in Gaza.[112]
The director of Democracy for the Arab World Now stated international journalists were portrayed by the Israeli government as being biased toward Palestinians, and as a result, soldiers saw journalists as "representative of their enemy" and were thus not punished for killing the media.[113] The International Federation of Journalists stated, "I think this is now a press freedom issue. I think we have to ask ourselves, 'What is the [Israeli military] trying to achieve? Why won't they let foreign journalists in?'"[114] The CJP stated the conflict was the most dangerous situation for journalists it had ever seen.[115] The CPJ's Middle East director stated, "Israel's longstanding record of impunity in journalist killings must face public scrutiny".[116]
On 22 December, Reporters Without Borders filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court over the killing of seven more Palestinian journalists, including Samer Abu Daqqa.[117] On 7 January 2024, the CPJ stated the deaths of Hamza Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya needed to be investigated and those who killed them held accountable.[118]
On 10 January 2024, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders signed a joint letter to U.S. president Joe Biden, calling on his administration to do more to prevent airstrikes on journalists.[119] On 25 January, the International Press Institute stated the number of journalists killed in Gaza represented "the worst killing we have noted in a conflict zone since our organisation was founded 75 years ago".[120] Reporters Without Borders stated on 8 February, "Palestinian journalism has been decimated by Israeli armed forces with complete impunity".[121]
On February 29, 2024, the CPJ, Reuters, AP, AFP, The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Inquirer, Haaretz, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The Asahi Shimbuna and a total of 36 leading newspapers signed an « Open letter on journalists in Gaza » against the ongoing killings, calling for all parties to protect journalists and the right to report.[122] In July 2024, the National Union of Journalists condemned "the murders of at least 117 Palestinian journalists in Gaza since the outbreak of war."[123]
Numerous Pakistani journalists gathered for a rally in Karachi to condemn what they viewed as intentional attacks on the media in Gaza. They called upon the United Nations to take action to halt Israeli aggression against media outlets. During the rally, they prominently displayed banners and placards featuring images of journalists who had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.[124] Journalists in more than 100 countries, and press bodies such as the International Federation of Journalists, marked 26 February 2024 as the International Day for Palestinian Journalists.[125] In August 2024, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra cancelled Jayson Gillham's performance after he dedicated a piece to the journalists killed in Gaza.[126]
Funerals for the journalists who had been killed have taken place in their respective countries. In Lebanon, a large gathering attended Issam Abdallah's funeral in his hometown. His body was adorned with a Lebanese flag and was transported from his family residence to the nearby cemetery in the southern town of Khiam.[91] [92] [127]