Watchdog Says 20 Palestinian Journalists Killed in Israeli Assault on Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) revealed that at least 20 Palestinian journalists have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The report, released on Wednesday, highlights the grim toll of Israel's war on the densely-populated coastal enclave, which began on October 7. The CPJ noted that a total of 24 journalists, including 20 Palestinians, have been killed since the conflict erupted.
"Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict in the face of a ground assault by Israeli troops, devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, and extensive power outages," the CPJ emphasized.
In addition to the casualties, the CPJ also disclosed that eight journalists have been wounded, while three others are either reported missing or detained. However, the watchdog did not provide further details regarding their identities. The CPJ underscored that these figures are based on its "preliminary investigations" and that it is actively looking into unconfirmed reports of other journalists facing similar fates, whether killed, missing, detained, injured, or threatened.
Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, emphasized the importance of safeguarding journalists' safety during times of crisis, stating, "CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties. Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict. All parties must take steps to ensure their safety."
In a separate development on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that one of its Gaza-based reporters, Wael Dahdouh, suffered a devastating personal tragedy during Israel's airstrikes on the impoverished region. These airstrikes have intensified the hardships faced by Gazans, with shortages of food, water, and medicine threatening lives, and hospitals overwhelmed amid incessant Israeli bombings.
"Al Jazeera's brave veteran journalist Wael Dahdouh's wife, son, and daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike, which targeted a shelter house they had fled to. Wael received the news while on air covering the nonstop Israeli strikes on Gaza," revealed Al Jazeera’s Managing Editor Mohamed Moawad in a social media post.
As of Wednesday, the conflict in Gaza, marked by Israel's airstrikes and missile attacks, has claimed the lives of 6,546 Palestinians, including 2,704 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
