TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As of Wednesday (Dec. 13), at least 63 journalists have been killed over the war in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In just two months since the war began, Israel’s assault on Gaza marks the deadliest period for journalists in the 21st century. The number of journalist casualties in Gaza exceeds that of Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as the two-decade-long Vietnam War.
Intentionally targeting journalists, and civilians, is considered a war crime, according to international law. Independent investigations have concluded that Israel intentionally targeted journalists, even as they wore vests marked “PRESS,” on multiple occasions.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Oct. 31 filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) about Israel’s war crimes against Palestinian journalists, stating, “The scale, seriousness, and recurring nature of international crimes targeting journalists, particularly in Gaza, calls for a priority investigation.” In addition, more than 50 media outlets in Gaza have had their premises destroyed, RSF said.
Colleagues carry vest of slain journalist in Gaza. (Reuters photo)
Israel said that it cannot guarantee journalists’ safety, and it has denied them access to Gaza. The only exception was some journalists from international news organizations, such as CNN and ABC, who agreed to travel with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and submit all footage to the Israeli military for review before publication.
Israel's “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza has impeded journalists on the ground from providing facts and independent reporting, which acts as an important check on propaganda and misinformation. There are few reporters left able to provide the world with a clear understanding of what is happening in Gaza, enabling both Israel and Hamas to release their own war narratives that are often impossible to verify.
Israeli strikes that killed a group of journalists on Oct. 13 in Lebanon were investigated by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said that “evidence indicates that the Israeli military knew or should have known that the group of people they were firing on were civilians.”
“This is an unlawful and apparently deliberate attack on a very visible group of journalists,” it said.
A separate investigation by Amnesty International also found that the journalists were “well removed from ongoing hostilities, clearly identifiable as members of the media, and had been stationary for at least 75 minutes before they were hit.”
Palestinians search for casualties after Israeli strikes on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Nov. 1. (Reuters photo)
“No journalist should ever be targeted or killed simply for carrying out their work. Israel must not be allowed to kill and attack journalists with impunity,” said Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director Aya Majzoub.
“Journalists are eyes and ears on the ground. They provide information and evidence vital for organizations like ours to see what crimes are being committed,” Majzoub added.
Risking their lives under Israeli bombardment, Palestinian journalists are continuing to report, even amid the lack of internet and electricity outages. “We can’t cover the site of massacres or even get to the places that have been bombed for fear that another Israeli attack will target the same area. Every second you are in danger,” said Rakan Abdelrahman, a freelance journalist in Gaza.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed at least 1,200 Israelis, Israel’s subsequent war on Hamas has killed more than 17,500 Palestinians, overwhelmingly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The 24-year-old photojournalist Motaz Azaiza’s Instagram offers a rare glimpse into the unfolding death and destruction. As Israel’s ground invasion pushes south to where millions of civilians are sheltering, Azaiza warned that he may not be able to continue for much longer.
Post captured by Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza in Gaza. His Instagram is @motaz_azaiza. (Motaz Azaiza photo)
Similarly, 25-year-old Gazan filmmaker Bisan Owda has been active on Instagram and posted a recent photo, writing, “I no longer have any hope of survival, and I am certain that I will die in the next few weeks or maybe days … I have been sick with a severe viral infection and cannot move from the mattress!”
RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire told TIME, “We cannot ignore the level of deaths of journalists in Gaza.” “We need people who can speak to both sides and report what they see as honestly as possible. A war without journalists is just a war of propaganda,” he said.
Bisan Owda is a Palestinian filmmaker who is documenting the war in Gaza. Her Instagram is @wizard_bisan1. (Bisan Owda photo)