un.org

06/06/2025

UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) condemns the Israeli military’s pattern of killings of journalists in Gaza, which remains the deadliest place in the world to be a journalist. In the latest attack on Al Ahli Hospital, Gaza City, in the morning on 5 June, at least 4 journalists were killed and 3 more were injured. This is at least the third instance of journalists apparently targeted and killed at hospitals. An attack on Nasr Medical Complex in Khan Younis on 7 April 2005 killed 2 journalists, and an attack on Al Awda Hospital in An Nuseirat killed 5 journalists on 26 December 2024.

UN Human Rights Office OPT is horrified that Israeli military attacks reportedly killed 18 journalists in May 2025 alone. The Office has verified the killing of 227 Palestinian journalists in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including 197 men and 30 women. The apparent targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, combined with the denial by Israel of access of foreign journalists to Gaza for over 18 months, except a few visits controlled by IDF, appear to indicate a deliberate attempt by Israel to limit the flow of information to and from Gaza and prevent reporting on the impact of its attacks and denial of humanitarian assistance. Directing attacks against protected persons such as journalists is a violation of international humanitarian law and also constitutes a war crime.