Earlier in the week, CPJ said that at least 31 journalists have died since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"The Israel-Gaza war has become the deadliest period for journalists covering conflict since CPJ began documenting journalist fatalities in 1992. As of November 2, CPJ’s investigations showed at least 36 journalists and media workers were among an estimated 10,000 killed since the war began on October 7—with more than 9,000 deaths in Gaza and the West Bank, and 1,400 in Israel. This deadly toll is coupled with harassment, detentions, and other reporting obstructions in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, Israel, and beyond," CPJ said in a statement on Thursday.
The CPJ says that nine additional journalists are missing or currently detained and another eight were injured during the conflict. It notes that 31 of the slain journalists were Palestinian, while four were Israeli and one was Lebanese.
The vast majority of the journalists were killed by Israeli airstrikes, according to the CPJ. Four of the 36 journalists were reportedly killed during Hamas attacks and three more were shot inside Gaza, though the CPJ does not note which side allegedly fired the shots.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.
As Israel's ground invasion of Gaza intensifies, Israel has told media outlets that it cannot guarantee the safety of journalists working in the area.