How Israel made Gaza the deadliest place on earth for journalists

Israel's war on Gaza has made the enclave the deadliest place in the world to be a journalist, with nearly 270 reporters and media workers killed since October 2023.

The toll is higher than the combined number of journalists killed in the US Civil War, the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and the war in Bosnia.

Among those killed this week are at least four Al Jazeera staff members, part of a broader pattern of targeting media professionals. The latest strike came on Sunday night, when Israeli fire hit a tent sheltering journalists outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

The attack killed seven people, including Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28, reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, 25, and Mohammed Noufal, 29. 

Which journalists have been killed?

Al Jazeera has borne some of the heaviest losses of any news outlet. Beyond al-Sharif and his three colleagues killed in August 2025, several others were slain in earlier Israeli strikes.

On 14 December 2023, cameraman Samer Abudaqa was targeted while filming in Khan Younis alongside bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, who was injured. Abudaqa was left to bleed to death when Israeli forces blocked medics from reaching him.

Weeks later, on 7 January 2024, Wael's eldest son and fellow Al Jazeera journalist, Hamza Dahdouh, was killed when a missile struck his vehicle in Khan Younis.

On 31 July 2024, reporter Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi died in an air strike on the Shati refugee camp, despite travelling in a clearly marked media vehicle and wearing press vests.

Further attacks followed. On 15 December 2024, video journalist Ahmed al-Louh was killed in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp during a strike on a civil emergency centre. And on 24 March 2025, 23-year-old reporter Hossam Shabat was killed in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel bans most international reporters from independently entering Gaza, allowing only a limited number of journalists to enter under tightly controlled conditions, such as military "embeds" that last only a few hours and involve strict military escort and censorship.

The official reasons given by Israeli authorities for this ban revolve around "security concerns" and the safety of reporters amid ongoing military operations and captive rescue efforts. However, critics argue that the ban primarily serves to prevent independent scrutiny and accountability of the situation in Gaza.

The Israeli Supreme Court has upheld the ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza, rejecting legal appeals by press organisations requesting independent media access. This has led to further reliance on Palestinian journalists inside Gaza for reporting.

Why is Gaza the deadliest war for journalists?

Press freedom organisations say the unprecedented toll reflects both the intensity of Israel's relentless attacks against Palestinians and its disregard for media protections under international law.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 2024 was the deadliest year on record for journalists, with more than 120 killed. Since the start of 2025, more than 50 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza alone.

The figures illustrate how covering Gaza has become uniquely perilous. Journalists are often unable to leave the territory, forced to work close to military targets, hospitals and refugee camps repeatedly struck by Israeli fire.

In many cases, reporters and camera operators have been killed while wearing press markings or sheltering in clearly designated media facilities.

The killing of Anas al-Sharif, who chronicled Gaza's devastation daily until his death, has sparked widespread condemnation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killings and called for journalists to be protected under international law.

International legal experts note that journalists are civilians under the Geneva Conventions and are afforded special protection.

The repeated Israeli strikes on media tents, offices, and vehicles marked "press" constitute as war crimes. Yet despite growing calls for accountability, no independent investigation has taken place, and Israel continues to deny deliberate targeting.