Israel is slaughtering Palestinian journalists in the most deadly and deliberate campaign that CPJ has ever documented. Palestinian journalists are being threatened, targeted and murdered — just for doing their jobs. Media infrastructure in Gaza is systematically destroyed, and censorship has been tightened throughout the West Bank and Israel. By silencing the press, Israel is silencing the truth.
A targeted Israeli strike on a media tent in Gaza murdered an entire news crew including Anas Al-Sharif, one of Gaza’s best-known reporters, and five other journalists on August 10. It is Israel’s deadliest single attack on journalists since Oct. 7, 2023.
In the last 22 months, Israel has killed more journalists than were killed worldwide in the preceding three years. Now we add 6 more names to that total:
Anas al-Sharif
Mohammed Qreiqeh
Ibrahim Zaher
Mohammed Noufal
Moamen Aliwa
Mohammad al-Khaldi
Last month, CPJ called for the protection of Al-Sharif, who was targeted by an Israeli smear campaign with no evidence. He told CPJ: “All of this is happening because my coverage of the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip harms them and damages their image in the world. They accuse me of being a terrorist because the occupation wants to assassinate me morally.”
Israel has a decades-long, documented pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists without providing any credible proof in order to manufacture consent for murdering them. CPJ is actively investigating new online Israeli smear campaigns targeting a dozen Palestinian journalists since the August 10 strike.
Palestinian journalists are #NotATarget — they are the eyes and ears for the world in Gaza. The international community has been silent for too long. CPJ calls on them to take immediate action to end these atrocities; grant international media independent access to Gaza; allow the press to report without fear of censorship or assassination; and hold Israel to account.
