Israel-Hamas war: 37 journalists among 11,000 people killed in last one month
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, this is the deadliest month for journalists covering conflict in over three decades
At least 37 journalists are among an estimated 11,000 people who have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, with more than 9,900 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and the West Bank, and 1,400 deaths in Israel, according to the latest report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Monday (November 6). Of the 37 journalists and media workers who were killed, 32 were Palestinians, four Israelis, and one Lebanese. While eight journalists were reported injured, three 3 were reported missing, and eight were reported arrested.
After Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel a month ago, Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip. According to the CPJ, it has been the deadliest month for journalists since it began compiling data on the journalists’ death in 1992. Reuters and Agence France Press news agencies had sought assurances from Israel that their journalists would not be targeted by Israeli strikes, but The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told them that it could not guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip.
Unprecedented casualties
According to Lucy Westcott, the emergencies director at CPJ, the last instance of journalists facing such danger in Israel was during the Second Intifada of the early 2000s, which lasted for over four years and claimed the lives of more than 4,300 people. During that period, CPJ documented the deaths of 13 journalists, a number that has now been exceeded by the recent hostilities. “This is unprecedented,” Westcott said. “Based on preliminary reporting, we’ve also estimated that 48 media facilities in Gaza have been hit or destroyed,” she said.
CPJ is currently conducting investigations into multiple accounts of journalists being killed, missing, detained, injured, or facing threats, along with reports of media offices and journalists’ residences being damaged. In addition to the significant casualties and widespread displacements, essential provisions are running scarce for the 2.3 million residents of Gaza due to the Israeli blockade. Journalists in Gaza are confronted with high risks as they try to report on the conflict amid an Israeli ground assault on Gaza City, destructive Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communication channels, and prolonged power outages.
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator. “Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats. Many have lost colleagues, families, and media facilities, and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit.”