Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Says 257 Journalists Killed Since October 2023

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said that 257 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of the Israeli offensive in October 2023, describing the attacks as deliberate crimes aimed at silencing the media and concealing violations from the international community.

Tahseen Al-Astal, deputy head of the syndicate, said the targeting of journalists constitutes a “fully fledged crime against humanity and against journalism,” accusing Israeli forces of intentionally attacking media workers to prevent documentation of events on the ground.

He added that more than 520 journalists have been injured since the beginning of the offensive, while Israeli authorities have barred more than 3,000 foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip, including 821 American journalists, in what he described as an effort to impose a comprehensive media blackout.

Al-Astal also said that more than 700 first-degree relatives of journalists, including women, children and elderly people, have been killed after their homes were bombed and destroyed. In addition, more than 700 houses owned by journalists in Gaza have been completely demolished, he said.

According to the syndicate, journalists remain the primary witnesses to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, which explains ongoing attempts to silence them and prevent the transfer of information to global public opinion.