Last updated on 23/10/23

The International Press Institute (IPI) is tracking press freedom violations and journalist casualties, including killed journalists, missing or detained journalists and injured journalists, amid the Hamas-Israel war.

Since October 7, at least 21 journalists have been among the casualties of the Hamas-Israel war, according to IPI data, which is gathered through local sources, local media freedom organisations, and media reports. At least 8 of them are currently believed to have been killed while carrying out their work, either while reporting on the ground or, e.g., killed during airstrikes on media offices.

There are also numerous journalists among the civilian casualties of missile strikes and other attacks. IPI’s is tracking all reported journalist casualties in relation to the Hamas-Israel war, while also providing more specific data on the number of journalists killed while on a professional assignment. Cases where circumstances are unclear and where IPI is working to confirm details are noted as such.

IPI is documenting and verifying reports of journalists killed through news reports and local sources. This article will be regularly updated as the situation develops.

Journalists killed

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Journalists killed while working

October 7

• Mohammad Al-Salhi, a Palestinian freelance journalist and photographer of the Fourth authority agency, was killed by a live bullet while covering the events at the border east of al-Bureij, in the central Gaza Strip. Reports suggest he was shot by the IDF.
• Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, a Gazan photojournalist who worked for Ain Media Foundation, was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces while reporting at the Gaza Strip’s Erez Crossing into Israel
• Mohammad Jarghoun, a reporter/photographer with Smart Media Agency, was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces while reporting in Gaza

October 10

• Saeed Al-Taweel, the editor-in-chief of Al-Khamsa News website, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while reporting on the bombing of his workplace, Hajji Tower on Institutions Street
• Mohammad Rizq Sobh, a photographer for Khabar Agency, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while reporting on the bombing of his workplace, Hajji Tower on Institutions Street
• Hisham Al-Nawajha, journalist/photographer for Khabar agency, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while reporting on the bombing of his workplace, Hajji Tower on Institutions Street

October 11

• Muhammad Fayez Abu Matar, a Palestinian freelance photojournalist working for international agencies, was killed in Israeli bombings in Rafaf while covering Israeli operations

October 13

• Issam Abdallah, a Beirut-based videographer for the Reuters news agency, was killed during a shelling attack that eyewitnesses said came from the direction of Israel near the Lebanon border. Abdallah and a group of other journalists were covering the back-and-forth shelling near Al-Shaab in southern Lebanon between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group

Journalists killed while not on assignment or killed in unclear circumstances

October 7

October 8

• Asaad Shamlikh, a freelance journalist, was killed along with nine members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Sheikh Ijlin, a neighbourhood in the southern Gaza Strip

October 10

October 12

• Ahmed Shehab, a journalist and a program producer for Sowt Al-Asra Radio, was killed along with his wife and three children in an Israeli airstrike that struck his house in Jabalia, located in northern Gaza.

October 13

October 16

October 17

October 18

• Samih Al-Nadi, director of Al-Aqsa TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip. No information if he was working

October 19

• Khalil Abu Athrah, Al-Aqsa TV photographer, was killed with his brother in an Israeli bombing of the Al-Nasr neighbourhood, north of Rafah. No information if he was working.

October 22

• Roshdi Sarraj, a journalist and co-founder of Ain Media in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit his family’s house in southern Gaza.

Missing journalists

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October 7

• Roee Idan, Yedioth Ahronot and Ynet Israeli photographer, reported to be missing in the south of Israel
• Nidal Al-Wahidi, a Palestinian journalist went missing while covering Israeli operations near the Beit Hanoun military checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip. His family later confirmed he has been arrested by the Israeli forces
• Haitham Abdelwahid, a Palestinian journalist went missing while covering Israeli operations near the Beit Hanoun military checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip

Detained journalists

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On October 15 and 16 the Israeli occupation forces carried out raids across the occupied territories and mass detained at least 70 Palestinians, including four Palestinian journalists:

• Sabri Jaber, a Palestinian journalist, was raided and detained by the Israeli forces.
• Moath Amarneh, a Palestinian journalist, was raided and detained by the Israeli forces at his home in Deheisheh refugee camp
• Mustafa Al-Khawaja, a Palestinian journalist, was raided and detained by the Israeli forces at his home in Nilin town

Injured journalists

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According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate’s (PJS), more than 20 journalists have been injured. IPI has documented the following attacks by name:

October 7

• Ibrahim Qanan, a correspondent for Al-Ghad, was injured by shrapnel in the city of Khan Yunis.
• Firas Lutfi, a correspondent with Sky News Arabia, was assaulted by the police, along with other Sky News journalists in the southern city of Ashkelon, according to members of the television crew. Lutfi said Israeli police aimed rifles at his head, forced him to remove his clothes, confiscated the team’s phones, and made them leave the area under police escort.

October 13

• Thaer Al-Sudani, a journalist for Reuters, was injured in the same attack that killed Issam Abdallah near the border in southern Lebanon
• Maher Nazeh, a journalist for Reuters, was also injured in the same southern Lebanon attack.
• Elie Brakhya, an Al-Jazeera TV staff member, was injured as well in the southern Lebanon shelling
• Carmen Joukhadar, an Al-Jazeera TV reporter, was also wounded in the southern Lebanon attack.
• Christina Assi, a photographer for AFP, was injured in that same attack in southern Lebanon
• Dylan Collins, a video journalist for AFP, was also injured in the southern Lebanon shelling.

October 19

• Mohsen Maqsoudi, one of the six Iranian journalists from Press TV who were caught in the crossfire near the Israeli Al-Abad site in the vicinity of the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, was injured when Israeli forces opened fire preventing them from leaving for multiple hours. The press crew’s car was also damaged by a mortar shell and several gunshots. Media sources cite Lebanese army saying one civilian was killed. It is unclear, if that civilian was a journalist.

Attacks on media infrastructure and offices

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According to the PSJ, the Palestinian Government Media Offices and the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom (MADA), Israeli bombings have completely or partially destroyed over 40 media offices, headquarters and centres of media institutions, including: Al-Aqsa Media Network, Ma’an News Agency, Sawa Agency, Shehab Agency, Al-Quds Newspaper, Radio Baladna, Zaman Radio, National Agency, Khabar Agency, Al-Ayyam Newspaper, Event Media Services Company, Fadel Shanaa Foundation, Holy Quran Radio, Shams News Agency, Office APA Agency, Al Jazeera Network Office, Palestine TV, “French” Agency Office.

The homes of multiple journalists have also been demolished in the bombings of residential areas.