Gaza’s Journalists Struggle to Report Under Bombardment and Starvation

May 29, 2025 – Palestine – 

Journalists in Gaza are enduring severe hardships as they try to cover the ongoing conflict amid deadly airstrikes, infrastructure collapse, and extreme deprivation. The dual pressures of physical danger and starvation have created near-impossible conditions for reporting, pushing local journalists to their limits.

One of the most pressing threats is direct targeting. On April 7, 2025, Israeli airstrikes hit a tent sheltering journalists near the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, killing at least two and wounding others. This was not an isolated incident. Multiple press crews have faced attacks while covering events in densely populated or frontline areas, raising alarm among international media rights groups about the safety of journalists in Gaza.

At the same time, starvation has emerged as a powerful, indirect threat. Journalists are not spared from the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Strip. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the ongoing blockade has deprived reporters of basic needs—food, clean water, fuel, and medicine. Human Rights Watch has described starvation as being used as a weapon of war, making it not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also a significant barrier to newsgathering.

Electricity blackouts and the destruction of communication networks have made it nearly impossible for journalists to file reports or verify information. Many are forced to move constantly to stay safe, while some lack protective gear or even adequate shelter. The PCHR reports that journalists are continuing to work despite injuries, trauma, and the loss of colleagues and family members.

With international media access limited, local reporters are the primary source of information on the ground. Their work is vital for documenting potential war crimes and informing global audiences about civilian suffering. Yet, their ability to do so is rapidly eroding under the pressure of both physical danger and intentional deprivation.

The current conditions threaten not just the lives of individual journalists but the very possibility of independent reporting from Gaza. Without urgent international intervention to protect press freedom and ensure humanitarian access, the voices of Gaza’s journalists may be silenced when they are needed most.

Reference – 

Gaza’s journalists endure Israeli airstrikes and starvation; repression rises in Bahrain and Egypt

Israeli Targeting and Starvation Hinder Our Journalistic Efforts

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza