In the deadliest war on the press, journalists in Gaza are being killed with no accountability.
( Global Voices ) – Since the start of the war on Gaza, the world has witnessed the deadliest period for journalists in modern history. The number of journalists killed by Israel during this war vary drastically depending on the source: while often local organizations in Gaza report the highest numbers, international watchdogs often cite lower figures. This disparity is rooted in contested definitions — who is considered a journalist, and who is not?
On April 7, 2025 Euro-Med Monitor reported that the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza has risen to at least 211, a number that predates the killing of journalist Fatima Hassouna and her family days after the report. Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) puts the number at 210 in addition to 398 injured and 48 detained, and 88 institutions destroyed by Israeli strikes, most of them in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports 176 journalists and media workers killed: 168 Palestinian, two Israeli, and six Lebanese, making this war the deadliest ever recorded by the organization. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) cite similar, though not identical, numbers.
The discrepancy in numbers often comes down to definition. While some count anyone engaged in gathering or disseminating news — including freelancers, fixers, camera operators, and social media reporters, many of whom may lack formal press credentials but are nonetheless essential in chronicling life under siege — some international organizations, tend to require formal accreditation or a certain level of professional activity to classify someone as a journalist, excluding many who are actively reporting from the ground in a besieged warzone where international journalists are barred by Israel from access unless embedded with the Israeli army.
But one fact remains indisputable: since October 7, the largest number of people covering the reality of war have been killed in a single conflict.
Killed with their families
The tragedy is compounded by the circumstances of many deaths: dozens of journalists were killed alongside their families, often as their homes were bombed without warning. The CPJ, PJS, and RSF have documented numerous cases where entire families perished. For example, veteran journalist Mohammed Abu Hatab, a correspondent for Palestine TV, was killed along with at least 11 members of his family in Khan Younis in early November 2023, after his home was hit by an Israeli airstrike. The image of his bloodied press vest became emblematic of the risks faced by Gaza’s reporters.
Haneen Mima, whose sister, journalist Salam Mima was killed by Israel in October 2023, speaks of surviving attacks that killed her loved ones leaving her to take care of her sister’s son, the only surviving member of the family. Such narratives, like the one of iconic journalist Wael al-Dahdouh who lost most of his family in Israeli airstrikes and was wounded himself, reflect the double trauma of personal loss and continued professional danger.
In one of the most recent and poignant cases, young Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Fatima Hassouna was killed alongside her entire family in Rafah on April 16, 2024, just one day after the film “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi featuring conversations between Farsi and Hassouna was selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival. A video of Hassouna, radiating joy as she learned of the Cannes selection, circulated widely on social media, turning her into a symbol of Gaza’s lost promise and creativity. The film, which depicts daily life under blockade, will now serve as a posthumous testament to her talent and the heavy cost of silencing Gaza’s storytellers.
Before her death, Hassouna wrote on social media: “If I die, I want a loud death. I don’t want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group.”
Her message echoes that of other colleagues who left messages to the world posthumously or before their killing. This was the case with Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat who wrote:
No justice, no accountability
Local journalists in Gaza have repeatedly raised their voices against this unprecedented level of targeting. At vigils and in broadcasts, they recounted the trauma of reporting on the deaths of friends, colleagues, and family members. Despite such appeals, the targeting has continued unabated. Press freedom organizations have called for independent investigations, but few have materialized and none inside Gaza.
Agence France Presse photojournalist Christina Assi nearly died during the deliberate Israeli attack on a group of journalists reporting in southern Lebanon on October 13, 2023 which killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah. During a public talk at the Perugia International Journalism Festival, she said that “The cameras are turning us into targets and the press vest is basically a death sentence right now.”
Assi added, “[A] few days ago I woke up to the horrific image of Palestinian journalist Ahmad Mansour who was burning alive and the entire world watched that. It’s horrific. When will it ever stop?”
During the same festival, many participants held a minute of silence, each holding the name of one of the 220 journalists reported killed since October 7. The somber act was a rare moment of collective recognition in a global media landscape often accused of downplaying Palestinian suffering.
“If it wasn’t for modern medicine and for my amazing medical team I wouldn’t be sitting here today,” Assi explained, a statement that reflects the added risks for people in Gaza where healthcare has been nearly obliterated.
“We still did not have our justice and there were no details or investigations from the Israeli side,” Assi added. “We were only met by silence and the normalization of violence against journalists. I want to know who did this to us and I want to see whoever did this, in court.”
Western media bias
As these crimes against the press continue, they compound longstanding concerns about the silencing of Palestinian narratives and bias in Western media, and in some cases, complicity with Israel’s framing of the conflict. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “plausible case of genocide”, and other reports have concluded that a genocide is indeed taking place.
Meanwhile, After more than a year and a half no major Western media outlet has managed to send independent reporters into Gaza. Barred by Israel from reporting independently from inside Gaza, foreign journalists are only allowed access if embedded with the Israeli army.
At the same time, little international pressure has been brought to bear on Israel regarding press targeting. Statements of condemnation occasionally issue from rights and press freedom organizations, but meaningful accountability has remained elusive. The United Nations and several NGOs have called for independent investigations, yet, as of April 2024, no such inquiry has led to consequences.
As the toll mounts, so too does the sense of abandonment felt by Gaza’s journalists who continue to witness and report in the most difficult conditions.
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