At least 44 Palestinian journalists have been killed while sheltering in displacement camps within the Gaza Strip. This grim figure is part of a larger count of 254 media workers who have perished in the region since the start of the conflict in October 2023. The data, collected and verified by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate’s Liberties Committee, highlights the extreme dangers faced by journalists on the ground.
The committee’s report details the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these 44 journalists, emphasizing that they were killed inside displacement camps during the ongoing hostilities. The report cites documented evidence of camps near hospitals and UNRWA shelters being targeted. There were also reports of direct sniper fire within displacement zones.
The report suggests a pattern of systematic attacks targeting the Palestinian media infrastructure. This includes the destruction of media offices, the targeting of journalists’ homes, and, ultimately, the targeting of journalists within the temporary shelters they were forced to occupy after being displaced. These camps, often located near hospitals and schools, were considered by many journalists as their last refuge.
The report further states that dozens more journalists have been seriously injured, with some suffering amputations as a result of direct attacks on the crowded camps. Documented evidence indicates that these attacks occurred in and around the vicinity of Nasser Hospital, Al-Shifa Hospital, UNRWA schools, and other areas heavily populated by displaced civilians. The weapons used in these attacks reportedly included precision air-to-surface missiles, drone strikes, and direct sniper fire.
The report emphasizes that targeting civilian journalists constitutes a war crime under Article 79 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions. The report further highlights the devastating human and social consequences of these attacks, including the denial of basic human protection, the exacerbation of the displacement crisis, the loss of security, and the rise in permanent injuries and amputations among journalists as a result of direct shelling on the camps. DZWatch continues to monitor this developing story. We will provide updates as they become available.
