Media workers among civilians affected as Gaza conflict intensifies

A funeral for journalists in Gaza on Nov. 19, as posted on Washington Press. (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

By The Respondents Reporter

More than 256 journalists have been affected by the war in Gaza, according to figures from media watchdogs, highlighting the increasing dangers faced by reporters covering the conflict. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that more than 50 journalists were killed in Gaza’s eastern zone on Dec. 3, 2025, underscoring the risks associated with reporting from active combat areas.

The broader humanitarian situation has also deteriorated. United Nations agencies estimate that about one million people remain displaced, living in tents or makeshift shelters across more than 860 sites. 

Winter weather and seasonal flooding have further endangered hundreds of thousands of people in low-lying areas.

Infrastructure damage remains extensive. Aid agencies estimate that approximately 88% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

The health system has been severely disrupted, and restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and food have limited humanitarian operations.

A boy runs through the mud. The suffering in the Gaza Strip is unimaginable. But with the ceasefire, people may now finally dare to hope for desperately needed relief items. Photo: Amjad Al Fayoumi/NRC

Journalists have been killed in a range of circumstances, including during airstrikes, ground operations, and while reporting near front lines or displacement sites. 

Press freedom organizations have raised concerns about the safety of reporters operating in Gaza, particularly as international media access remains restricted, leaving local journalists as the primary source of on-the-ground information.

Media watchdogs, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and CPJ, have documented cases in which journalists were killed while performing their professional duties. These organizations have called for independent investigations into such incidents and for greater protection for media workers under international humanitarian law.

The Israeli military has said that some individuals identified as journalists were targeted because they were suspected of involvement with militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It has stated that its operations are aimed at security threats and that journalists are not deliberately targeted as such. 

Press freedom groups have disputed these claims, urging authorities to provide evidence and ensure accountability.

A Palestinian woman sits on the rubble of her house, destroyed in an Israeli strike, in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images

With Gaza under siege and movement heavily restricted, local reporters continue to work under conditions that media organizations describe as among the most dangerous in modern conflict reporting.

 Aid groups and press freedom advocates say there are currently no clearly defined safe zones for journalists inside the territory.

According to CPJ and other monitoring bodies, the Gaza war has resulted in the highest number of journalist deaths recorded in a single conflict in recent decades. 

As of January 2026, between 220 and 256 journalists were reported killed in Gaza since October 2023.

 Globally, media organizations estimate that journalists killed in the Israel-Gaza conflict accounted for a significant share of worldwide journalist deaths in 2025.

International organizations have reiterated calls for all parties to respect the protections afforded to journalists under international law and to ensure safe access for media workers covering the conflict