Committee to Protect Journalists report says Israel also to blame for 81% of ‘intentionally targeted’ journalist killings

In several cases Israel has acknowledged targeting journalists in Gaza that it said had links to Hamas, without providing verifiable evidence. International news organisations have strongly denied that reporters who were killed had links to militants. The CPJ called such allegations by Israel “deadly smears”.

Its report said at least 104 of the 129 journalists killed died in connection with conflicts. Apart from Gaza and Yemen, the deadliest countries for journalists included Sudan, where nine were killed, and Mexico, where six died. Three journalists died in the Philippines and four Ukrainian journalists were killed by Russian forces, it said.

Among those killed in Gaza was the Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who died in August while operating a live video feed at Nasser hospital.

During the attack, Anas al-Sharif, who was one of Al Jazeera’s most recognisable faces in Gaza, was killed too. Al-Sharif left a poignant final message entrusting his family to the public, specifically mentioning his daughter, Sham.

“This is my will and my final message,’’ read the statement which was published posthumously on Anas al-Sharif’s X account. “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.”

That strike also killed four other journalists, as reported in the same article.