Witnesses in the crosshairs

Some observers are already calling it one of the deadliest wars for journalists in thirty years. In addition to the catastrophic toll of more than 22,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip, and more than 1,200 Israelis murdered in the Hamas attack on 7 October, the conflict between Israel and Hamas also appears to have resulted in the deaths of at least 50 – and perhaps more than 100 – journalists since the latest hostilities began in October 2023.

The number of journalists and other media workers killed during the conflict varies widely from one source to another – some, such as Reporters Without Borders, distinguish between journalists killed “in connection with their work” and others. Other organisations point to the “unparalleled” nature of the toll paid by media professionals since the start of hostilities.

As the Western media rarely have access to the Gaza Strip, they are directly dependent on local Palestinian and Israeli news producers, who risk their lives. In some cases, the journalists killed were long-standing contributors to the European press, as freelancers or “fixers”.