23 Journalists Have Been Killed in Hamas-Israel War

From a story on axios.com by Sara Fischer headlined “Nearly two dozen journalists killed in Hamas-Israel war”:

At least 23 journalists have been killed in the first two weeks of the Hamas-Israel war, according to the latest tally from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Many others have been reported missing or injured.

The big picture: It’s a staggering number of deaths to be documented across such a short period of time.

For context, a total of 15 journalists have been killed in Ukraine between 2022 and 2023, per CPJ.

Details: Most of the 19 Palestinians killed during the Hamas-Israeli war died during Israeli bombardments, per CPJ.

Three Israeli journalists were killed in Hamas attacks and one Lebanese journalist has also been killed in an attack Lebanon’s government blamed on an Israeli missile strike.

Many of the journalists killed were working as photojournalists or videographers, trying to document the crisis unfolding on the ground.

Between the lines: A Beirut-based Reuters videographer died during an attack in southern Lebanon Friday that also wounded six other journalists, including two other Reuters journalists and journalists from AFP and Al Jazeera.

Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni on Monday called on Israeli authorities to conduct an investigation into his death, noting; “Eye witnesses at the scene said the shell that killed Islam came from Israel.”

The big picture: Journalists are considered civilians under international humanitarian law and should not be directly targeted in attacks.

Press freedom advocates are beginning to put pressure on Israel, and all parties involved in the war, to end military practices that impact civilian lives, including journalists.

What they’re saying: “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 program coordinator.

“Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict. All parties must take steps to ensure their safety,” Mansour added.

The National Press Club urged U.S. government officials, as they meet with the Israeli government, to “raise the issue of journalist safety for the protection of all journalists working in the field.”

What to watch: A slew of global news organizations, including all of the major U.S. broadcast and cable news networks, have sent journalists to cover the war as it unfolds on the ground.

Journalists in Gaza face heightened risk in “the face of a ground assault by Israeli troops, devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, and extensive power outages,” CPJ notes.

Go deeper: Blinken urges Bibi to allow aid into Gaza to maintain wider support for invasion.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with new details, including to reflect that at least eight more journalists have been killed during the Hamas-Israel war since this report was first published on Oct. 15.