Palestinian journalists face deadly risks but continue to report under Israeli crackdown

Israel has killed about 250 journalists in Gaza since October 7, 2023. That figure exceeds the total number of journalists killed in all wars over the past 150 years. Despite this toll, Israel has faced no accountability for the killings, which media watchdogs describe as “the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists” ever documented.

The crisis has exposed serious flaws in Western newsroom standards. Major outlets frequently used passive language when covering Palestinian deaths, which effectively removed responsibility from Israeli forces. Reporters also amplified unverified claims, such as when CNN cited Israeli accusations that Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif worked for Hamas after his death near al-Shifa Hospital in August 2025. Al Jazeera rejected the claim. In another case, a Reuters newsroom confirmed that an Israeli strike in September 2025 that killed 22 people, including a Reuters photographer and four other journalists, targeted one of its own cameras, not a Hamas device. Sky News also faced criticism after initially calling a strike on media personnel in Lebanon a hit on a Hezbollah-linked broadcaster.

Pressure on media organizations has come from multiple directions. The Israeli government banned Al Jazeera, labeling the network a security threat. It also cracked down on domestic publications like Haaretz for critical coverage. Historically, Israel has faced little pushback for these actions. The 2022 killing of veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank remains unprosecuted.

Internal dissent has grown louder across major networks. More than 1,500 Western journalists recently signed a protest letter against their coverage of the war. Eight BBC reporters specifically accused their employer of downplaying Palestinian casualties and avoiding terms like genocide or occupation. Several journalists of colour resigned in response.

Despite the danger, Palestinian reporters have refused to stop working. They shifted to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to share footage directly with global audiences. The unfiltered coverage sparked student demonstrations at Columbia University and other campuses across the United States.

The independent reporting effort has earned international recognition. Bisan Owda won an Emmy Award for documenting daily survival in Gaza. She and hundreds of colleagues have fundamentally changed how the conflict is covered. “I no longer have any dreams. My only dream is to survive this, to tell the story of the people who didn't,” Owda said. Their work has bypassed traditional gatekeepers and forced a global reckoning with how war is reported.