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November 21, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –
Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat was severely injured while covering the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City. As he reported from the rubble, a second strike hit the same location, inflicting wounds on Shabat and killing a first responder nearby. He later shared harrowing details on social media: “The moment I stepped inside, the house was bombed again, and dismembered body parts of the wounded flew around me”.
Then, on March 24, 2025, tragedy struck again. Shabat, now 23, was killed when his vehicle in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya—reportedly on the way to cover another story—was hit by an Israeli drone‑delivered missile. According to a Palestine Today TV correspondent, the strike was “directly targeted”, with no prior warning. Al Jazeera denounced the death as a deliberate assassination and accused Israeli forces of engaging in “systematic killing” of journalists. CPJ also condemned the incident, and along with other press freedom organizations, urged an independent international investigation into whether Shabat and fellow journalist Mohammad Mansour—killed in Khan Younis on the same day—were intentionally targeted.
Shabat was among at least 208 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023—a sobering toll that CPJ describes as the deadliest conflict for journalists in the 21st century. His death was particularly poignant as he had been previously accused by the Israeli military of being associated with Hamas—a charge he, Al Jazeera, and press rights groups vehemently rejected, calling the accusations both “unsubstantiated” and dangerous attempts at smearing journalists to justify targeting them.
Shabat had shared a poignant farewell message in the event of his death, urging the world not to forget Gaza and to continue reporting its truth. His voice, silenced by violence, continues to echo the urgent need for accountability and protection of journalists in war zones
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