War in the Middle East: Journalists' Association speaks of at least 65 media representatives killed

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Relatives, colleagues and loved ones mourn the loss of Palestinian journalists Sari Mansour and Hasona Saliem, who were killed in the Gaza Strip in mid-November

Photo: Anadolu / Getty Images

Since the resumption of the Gaza war and the start of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, dozens of journalists have died. According to the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), at least 65 media representatives have died.

"This is the largest number of journalists killed in such a short period of time in a modern war or conflict," the institute said. An appeal was made to Israel and the international community to ensure that media representatives can work freely and safely. According to IPI data, 2022 media workers were killed in 66 as a whole, compared to 45 the year before.

Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also released figures on media people killed that were even higher. At least 69 media workers had died as of Dec. 23, the CPJ statement said. According to the report, 61 of the journalists killed were Palestinians.

The war in Gaza was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history on October 7, in which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups murdered around 1200,240 people in Israel and abducted around <> more to the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive.

The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war rose to 21,672, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza. The figure cannot be independently verified at this time; According to the UN and other observers, the agency's information has proven to be credible in the past.

Obstruction of the press in Afghanistan and China, among others

IPI denounced the obstruction of the press in many countries. It cited, among others, Afghanistan and China, where journalists are intimidated, harassed, imprisoned or restricted by censorship. Private technology companies magnified the threats because opaque policies allowed governments to monitor members of the press.

Some governments obstructed independent journalism under the pretext of anti-terrorism or cybercrime laws. Elsewhere, media companies increasingly came under political or commercial influence. "These threats are not limited to autocratic regimes," the institute said. "Even in the established democracies, journalists are increasingly harassed and hindered in their work."

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