According to the most recent data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 23 journalists have been murdered in the first two weeks of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, with many reported injured or missing.

Among the 23 journalists, 19 were Palestinians, three were Israeli, and one was Lebanese, killed on the Lebanese-Palestinian border by Israeli airstrikes, per the CPJ. 

The Beirut-based Reuters videographer, Issam Abdallah, was killed in southern Lebanon Friday by an Israeli airstrike that injured six other journalists, including two Reuters journalists and journalists from AFP and Al Jazeera.

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Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni on Monday called on "Israel" to open an investigation into Abdallah's death, saying: "Eyewitnesses at the scene said the shell that killed Islam [Issam] came from Israel."

Three days after the airstrikes began on October 7, journalists Saeed Al-Taweel and Mohammad Sobh were martyred in an Israeli bombing that targeted areas in the western Gaza Strip, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported, leaving an injured journalist identified as Hisham al-Nwajha.

Violating international law

Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered protected civilians and are prohibited from being directly targeted in attacks.

Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, relayed: "CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties," adding: "Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict. All parties must take steps to ensure their safety".

The National Press Club urged the US, while it convenes with the Israeli occupation, to "raise the issue of journalist safety for the protection of all journalists working in the field."

The CPJ underlines that journalists in Gaza are under the threat "of a ground assault by Israeli troops, devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, and extensive power outages".