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On August 25th, multiple Israeli strikes hit Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. During this assault, they used the controversial double-tap, a military strategy in which a second strike is sent to target first responders and anyone else responding to the initial strike. This resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people, 5 of whom were journalists who have worked with Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and more.
According to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), the strikes targeted a camera positioned by Hamas at Nasser Hospital that was being used to observe IDF activity. Coincidentally, it was well known that Reuters’ contractor Hussam Al-Masri operated a live newsfeed from the roof of Nasser Hospital. Al-Masri was killed with the first strike. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that these deaths are a “tragic mishap,” these recent missile strikes suggest a pattern of killings of Palestinian journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that at least 197 journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023, 189 of them being Palestinian. This large number has caused the CPJ to describe Israel’s actions as “the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists” that they have ever covered. Al-Masri is only the latest journalist who has been deemed a “terrorist” and killed by direct force or missile strikes. Fifteen days before the Nasser hospital attack, Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif was assassinated after being accused of being the leader of a Hamas cell. Israel has released a document supposedly detailing Al-Sharif's participation in Hamas terror activities. Many organizations, however, including the United Nations, have expressed doubt about the veracity of these documents, writing that “journalism is not terrorism” and that “Israel has provided no credible evidence of the latter against any of the journalists that it has targeted with impunity.” Terrorists now seem to carry cameras and mics instead of arms.
When a government targets the press, it is to hide or distort the truth. Since October 7, Israel has largely barred foreign journalists from entering the strip unless they follow very strict conditions. Investigations from prominent news outlets have suggested that this is to hide IDF activities and the death of Palestinian journalists from the world stage. Subsequently, the responsibility of coverage has fallen solely in the hands of Palestinian journalists.
But as Israel continues to reduce Gaza to rubble, reporting the news from within the strip has become increasingly difficult. Due to a lack of media infrastructure, Palestinian journalists have set up tents near hospitals whose generators serve as an important source of electricity. Additionally, they are able to access reliable internet connections because they are at higher points, according to the BBC.
Aside from the technical problem of delivering the news, Palestinian journalists are still Palestinians experiencing a very real genocide that has already taken the lives of over 64,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The effects of living and working in such horrific conditions are extremely psychologically taxing. Even though Israel has disputed these tolls, their own classified military intelligence indicates that as of May 2025, five out of six Palestinians killed have been civilians. For comparison, Israeli military actions have caused a higher rate of civilian death in Gaza than both civilian death rates in the Sudanese and Syrian Civil Wars.
In addition to these killings, it is now confirmed that Gaza is experiencing a famine due to Israeli blockades on aid entering the strip. Instead, Israel has only allowed a limited amount of aid from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) to enter. Not only is this aid insufficient to feed the current struggling population, but at least 994 Palestinians have been killed by IDF soldiers in the vicinity of the four GHF distribution sites. Regardless of location, all Gazans are faced with death and destruction. Journalists are no exception.
While the struggles and suffering of the Palestinian people are being covered by multiple news outlets, we must also bring attention to the dangers presented to Palestinian journalists. One must not ignore that they are working in conditions that are affecting all Gazans. They are especially targeted by Israel as it continues its incursion into the region. Sadly, those who have lost their lives while shedding light on the situation in Gaza are not respected nearly as much as they deserve to be.
Anyone who believes in the importance of freedom of the press should make clear their objections to Israel’s action. Reporters in Gaza have had the bravery to expose to the world the unimaginable cruelty that Israel has imposed upon Palestinians. Even as they see their colleagues killed, these journalists continue to report as accurately and truthfully as they can. Similarly, anyone and everyone should demand an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza. As more reporters are killed, the least we can do overseas is use their coverage to demand action.
Rest in peace to the five journalists who lost their lives during the Nasser hospital strike: Ahmed Abu Aziz, Hussam Al-Masri, Mariam Abu Dagga, Moaz Abu Taha, and Mohammed Salama.