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November 30, 2024 – Palestine –
Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, Palestinian journalists have faced unprecedented danger. As of December 1, 2024, the Gaza government media office reported 191 journalists killed—a number since revised upward to 192 and 193 in official counts.
On November 30, journalist Mamdouh Ibrahim Qanaita, an editor at Al‑Aqsa Channel, was killed in a drone strike while leaving the Baptist Hospital courtyard in Gaza City. Eyewitnesses say he was shot in the head, and the Gaza government media office denounced it as part of “systematic targeting”.
The fatalities include media professionals from both television and radio: Mamdouh Kaneetah (Al‑Aqsa Channel) and Maysara Ahmed Salah (Quds News Network) were killed in strikes around November 30 – December 1, raising the casualty count to 192. Earlier on November 27, Alaa Barhoum, another press editor, was killed, bringing the total to 190.
The surge in deaths in late November and December reflects a broader trend of violence against journalists in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have reported more than 200 media workers killed since October 2023, making this the deadliest conflict for journalists globally in recent decades.
World leaders spoke out. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the targeting of journalists “unacceptable” and urged stronger protections. The Israeli military, however, often defends strikes by claiming they target militants embedded in combat zones, citing intelligence that some journalists were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
The December 26 Reuters report noted that five journalists from Al‑Quds Today were killed outside a hospital, even as Israel maintained they were militants disguised as media workers. Such incidents underscore the journalists’ frontline role and the blurred lines in urban, overcrowded conflict zones.
This wave of journalist deaths has decimated Gaza’s media sector, with numerous outlets losing personnel and equipment. Appeals from international and media freedom groups stress the need for unimpeded protection, accountability, and respect for press freedoms. Without urgent action, Gaza risks losing the voices that bear witness to war.
Reference –
Another journalist killed in Israeli attack on Gaza, death toll soars to 191
