The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has accused the Israeli military of targeting journalists and their families in Gaza during the recent conflict. According to the CPJ, at least 68 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, Israel, and southern Lebanon since the Hamas cross-border attack on 7 October and subsequent Israeli assault.

This alarming number of journalist deaths in the first 10 weeks of the Israel-Gaza war surpasses the annual toll in any other single country, says the CPJ. Of the 68 killed, 61 were Palestinian, three were Lebanese, and four were Israeli journalists. The CPJ expressed particular concern about the apparent pattern of targeting journalists and their families by the Israeli military. Instances were reported where journalists were killed while clearly wearing press insignia in locations where no fighting was taking place. Moreover, journalists claimed to have received threats from Israeli officials and Israel Defense Forces officers before their family members were targeted.

The CPJ has called on Israel to end the longstanding pattern of impunity in cases of journalists killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The group highlighted the case of journalist Anas Al-Sharif, whose 90-year-old father was killed in an Israeli airstrike after Al-Sharif received multiple threats and voice notes disclosing his location. The CPJ also mentioned that photographer Yasser Qudih's family was killed in an Israeli airstrike following accusations that Qudih and other Gaza-based photographers had prior knowledge of a Hamas attack. Though these accusations were later withdrawn, they had serious consequences, with Israeli officials considering the photographers as accomplices in "crimes against humanity".

The Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders has also expressed concern about the situation, stating that journalism is being eradicated in the Gaza Strip due to Israel's failure to protect media personnel. Reporters in Gaza have been left without a safe refuge and have no means of leaving the area. According to the CPJ, there is a pattern of journalists in Gaza reporting threats and subsequent killings of their family members.

Israel denies targeting journalists, insisting that its operations solely focus on Hamas. However, media organizations, including Reuters, have rejected accusations made by pro-Israel pressure groups that journalists were embedded with Hamas during the October attack.

Jodie Ginsberg, President of the CPJ, called on Israel to be transparent about the orders given to soldiers in dealing with media workers. She highlighted the lack of accountability, stating that Israel has never put a soldier on trial for killing a journalist intentionally or unintentionally. While the US State Department has stated that it has not seen evidence of Israel intentionally targeting journalists, Ginsberg urged the US to hold Israel accountable and investigate whether any of the killings involved US weaponry.

The CPJ previously released a report documenting a "deadly pattern" of Israeli forces killing journalists even before the latest conflict in Gaza. The group found a pattern of Israeli response that seemed designed to evade responsibility, as no soldier has been held on trial for killing a journalist.

The situation in Gaza raises concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in conflict zones. It underscores the crucial need for transparency, accountability, and protections for media personnel reporting in such dangerous environments.