At least 24 journalists have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
SOURCE: NPR-Excerpt from series report Middle East Crisis Explained
Author: Jaclyn Diaz
At least 24 journalists are among the more than 6,000 people who have been killed in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, according to the latest tally released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In addition to the heavy toll the fighting has taken on civilians in the region, the conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deadliest spate for journalists in Israel and the occupied territories since the committee began tracking journalist deaths in 1992, the organization's director of emergencies, Lucy Westcott, told NPR.
Of the two dozen journalists killed, 20 were Palestinians, three Israelis and one Lebanese. According to CPJ, at least eight other journalists have been injured, while three others are believed to be missing or detained.
The last time journalists faced such grave danger in Israel was during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, when more than 4,300 people were killed during more than four years of fighting. CPJ documented the deaths of 13 journalists during that time, a figure now surpassed by the latest hostilities.
"This is unprecedented," Westcott said.
The committee's latest tally is most likely insufficient, as CPJ officials say they are also investigating at least 100 additional reports of journalists killed, missing, detained, or threatened. Among those cases are reports of damage to journalists' offices and homes, Westcott said.
"Based on preliminary reports, we have also estimated that 48 media facilities in Gaza have been attacked or destroyed," he said.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that sparked the Gaza conflict resulted in more than 1,400 Israeli deaths and approximately 5,000 injuries. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the days following the attack have killed more than 7,000 people, according to Palestinian officials.
Despite repeated calls for a cease-fire by humanitarian groups and some politicians, the war shows no signs of slowing down as Israeli forces prepare for an expected ground invasion of Gaza, the timing of which is still unclear.
Family members of journalists have also become casualties of the ongoing Gaza bombardment.
On Wednesday, the wife of Al Jazeera's Arab bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, their 15-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter and grandson were killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to the news outlet. His other son, Yehia, suffered a head injury for which doctors had to perform an emergency procedure on him in the hospital corridor.
The network showed footage of a shocked Dahdouh entering Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital to see his family in the morgue.
"The indiscriminate attack by Israeli occupation forces resulted in the tragic loss of [Dahdouh's] wife, son and daughter, while the rest of his family is buried under the rubble," Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement.
NPR could not independently confirm details of the attack, but Israeli officials have maintained that they do not deliberately target civilians or journalists. In a statement to CNN, the Israel Defense Forces said they had targeted "Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the area."
