NEW YORK, US
The Israel-Gaza war has taken a severe toll on journalists since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7 and Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) is investigating all reports of journalists and media workers
killed, injured, or missing in the war, which has led to the deadliest
month for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
As of November 20, CPJ’s
preliminary investigations showed at least 50 journalists and media workers
were among the more than 14,000 killed since the war began on October
7—with over 12,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and the West Bank and 1,200 deaths in Israel.
The second-deadliest day for
journalist deaths occurred on November 18, with five killed; the deadliest day
of the war was its first day, October 7, with 6 journalists killed.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Reuters and Agence France Press news agencies that it could not guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, after they had sought assurances that their journalists would not be targeted by Israeli strikes, Reuters reported on October 27.
Journalists in Gaza face
particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict during the
Israeli ground assault, including devastating Israeli airstrikes,
disrupted communications, supply shortages and extensive power outages.
As of November 20:
- 50 journalists and media workers were
confirmed dead: 45 Palestinian, 4 Israeli, and 1 Lebanese.
- 11 journalists were reported injured.
- 3 journalists were reported missing.
- 18 journalists were reported arrested.
- Multiple
assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family
members.
CPJ is also investigating
numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing,
detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’
homes.
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.
“Journalists across the region
are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in
Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and
face exponential threats. Many have lost colleagues, families, and media
facilities, and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit.”
It is unclear whether all of
these journalists were covering the conflict at the time of their deaths, but
CPJ has included them in our count as we investigate their circumstances.
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