On May 3rd each year, UNESCO commemorates World Press Freedom Day. This year’s celebrations occur at a particularly perilous time for journalists in Gaza, where the ongoing Israeli conflict has become the deadliest for media workers. During the first seven months of the conflict, over 100 journalists and media workers, primarily Palestinians, have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists.
Gaza’s Media Office estimates the death toll at more than 140, averaging five journalists killed weekly since October 7, 2023. Since the conflict began, at least 34,596 Palestinians have been killed and 77,816 injured in Gaza, with over 8,000 still missing under the rubble.
Globally, 25 journalists and media workers have been killed so far in 2024, with at least 20 of these deaths occurring in Palestine. Other fatalities were recorded in Colombia (2), Pakistan (1), Sudan (1), and Myanmar (1). In 2023, more than three-quarters of the 99 journalists and media workers killed worldwide were victims of the Israeli war on Gaza.
Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, stated, “Since the onset of the war on Gaza, journalists have paid with their lives to defend our right to know the truth.” He added, “Every time a journalist dies or is injured, we lose a piece of that truth.”
United Nations experts have expressed deep concern about these incidents, noting that journalists have been targeted despite being clearly identifiable, suggesting a deliberate strategy to obstruct and silence the media. They have emphasized that journalists, as civilians, are entitled to protection under international humanitarian law and that targeted attacks against them may constitute war crimes.
The high number of casualties among journalists in Gaza has drawn international condemnation and highlighted the extreme dangers faced by media workers in conflict zones, especially in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UN has called for better protection for journalists and for investigations into their killings to adhere to international standards.
