The Gaza Government Media Office announced on Thursday the death of journalist Mohammed Bassam Al-Jamal, who worked for the “Palestine Now” news agency, during an Israeli bombardment of his home in Rafah Governorate. The statement added that this incident brings the total number of journalists killed since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza to 141.
Earlier, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in November filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, discussing “war crimes related to the killing of journalists during their media coverage” of the Israeli aggression on Gaza. The organization also stated that the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, confirmed that the investigation into Palestine includes crimes against journalists.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2024, there has been significant concern over the high number of journalists killed, attacked, and detained in the region. The United Nations has strongly condemned these actions, emphasizing that over 122 journalists have been affected, marking this as one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists in recent history. These incidents have been reported to blatantly disregard international law, with attacks often targeting clearly identifiable journalists and media workers.
The UN experts have highlighted the disturbing frequency of these incidents, suggesting a possible deliberate strategy by Israeli forces to obstruct and silence critical reporting. They have called for the protection of journalists, recognizing them as civilians under international law and stressing that targeted attacks against them may constitute war crimes.
Moreover, organizations like Democracy Now! have reported similar findings, noting that the Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded a historically high number of journalist fatalities in Gaza within just three months, surpassing the annual total in any single country since records began in 1992. This has raised urgent calls for independent investigations into these deaths and for international media access to Gaza to be restored.
