The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday confirmed through its preliminary investigations that an estimated 97 journalists and media workers have lost their lives since the onset of the war between Israel and Hamas. The report further highlighted that 25 journalists have been arrested, while four remain missing amidst the conflict. This information was shared by CPJ Program Director, Carlos Martínez de la Serna. He stated, “Since the Israel-Gaza war began, journalists have been paying the highest price — their lives — to defend our right to the truth. Each time a journalist dies or is injured, we lose a fragment of that truth.”
Despite the efforts at an international level, the issue of news coverage and safety of journalists amidst the conflict continues to persist. International humanitarian law offers protection to journalists during times of war. For instance, according to Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, during conflicts, journalists are identified as civilians and thus protected under the Conventions. Despite these measures, the concern around the safety of journalists in Gaza remains very real. As an example, Israel’s military disclosed to Reuters and the AFP that they cannot guarantee the safety of journalists during their strikes and operations.
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by attacks by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, on October 7. Post-Israel’s declaration of war, the conflict has progressively worsened, giving rise to international and humanitarian concerns. Among the casualties, the death of journalists forms a significant part of the more than 35,000 deaths recorded since the start of the war, of which approximately 34,000 were Palestinians.
CPJ has confirmed that they will continue with their investigations into the circumstances related to the casualties of journalists in this conflict. As this war unfolds, newer reports on the situation are anticipated.
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