Gaza Journalists Killed in Record Numbers as Global Outcry Grows

November 27, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –

The Gaza Strip has become the deadliest place in the world for journalists, with the Association of Oil and Human Rights (AOHR) reporting that 190 Palestinian media workers have been killed by Israeli forces since the war began on October 7, 2023. The figure underscores what many rights groups and press freedom advocates are calling a systematic and deliberate campaign against journalists operating in the besieged enclave.

Among the latest casualties is journalist Alaa Fawzy Barhoum, whose death further inflamed calls for international investigations. While the AOHR figure is higher than those reported by other watchdogs, it aligns with a broader pattern of escalating violence. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has confirmed the deaths of at least 179 journalists in the conflict—177 of them Palestinian—as of May 2025. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also places the toll well over 170, making the current war the deadliest for media workers since global records began.

Journalists have been killed while covering bombings, reporting from hospitals, and even while seeking refuge. Reports include accounts of media tents being directly targeted and media buildings destroyed. In one incident, a journalist was reportedly burned alive after an airstrike hit a designated press area. To date, nearly 50 media offices and broadcasting centers have been destroyed.

UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the IFJ have all condemned the killings, with RSF urging the International Criminal Court to investigate whether Israeli forces have committed war crimes against journalists. Israeli officials maintain that any civilian deaths are unintended and blame Hamas for operating in civilian areas. However, many press groups reject this narrative, pointing to evidence that journalists—often clearly marked and unarmed—were specifically targeted.

Global solidarity efforts have emerged in response. Vigils, protests, and media blackouts have been held worldwide, including demonstrations in London, Karachi, and New York, calling for accountability and protection for journalists in Gaza.

The mounting death toll of Palestinian journalists has become a tragic symbol of the conflict’s brutality. As the war continues, so does the silencing of voices trying to document its human cost, raising urgent questions about impunity, press freedom, and the global community’s failure to intervene.

Reference –

IOF kills 190 Palestinian journalists in Gaza Carnage