Record Number of Journalists Killed in Gaza War, CBS News Reports

January 12, 2025 – Palestine/Israel – 

A recent 60 Minutes segment aired on CBS News revealed a staggering toll on media workers covering the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 160 journalists, translators, fixers, and support staff have been killed since hostilities erupted in October 2023. This marks the most lethal period for reporters since CPJ began tracking deaths in 1992.

The program noted that the vast majority of those killed in Gaza are Palestinian, with deaths extending to their families, raising fears the targeting of journalists may be systematic, aiming to “silence the truth”, as observed by former U.S. diplomat Hala Rharrit.

A broader CPJ report for 2024 revealed that 124 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide, setting a grim record. Of these, 82 died in Gaza, while three were killed in Lebanon during related hostilities. This surpassed the previous deadliest year (2007 Iraq), which saw 113 deaths.

Strikingly, the report highlighted that 31 Palestinian freelance journalists paid the ultimate price. These freelancers stepped in to fill a void left by departing international media, often with minimal protection or support.

Military forces, including the Israel Defense Forces, assert they do not target journalists intentionally and emphasize efforts to avoid civilian casualties. However, they also allege that some media workers were linked to militant groups—claims strongly refuted by press freedom advocates.

International bodies, including CPJ and Reporters Without Borders, echoed CBS’s reporting, calling for independent inquiries into journalist deaths in Gaza. They emphasize that journalists, under international humanitarian law, are protected civilians. Many media facilities and equipment have also been destroyed, adding to the unprecedented human and infrastructural toll.

This trend threatens press freedom and public access to crucial information. When journalists are killed en masse, reporting becomes compromised, censoring civilian stories and undermining global awareness of humanitarian truths.

CBS’s reporting underscores the critical need for international action. Accountability for attacks on media professionals is essential—not only to deliver justice for individual deaths, but to uphold the principle that journalism must have safe passage, especially in war zones.

Reference –

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/record-journalist-death-toll-in-gaza-60-minutes/