Twelve journalists dead in eight days of war
By Rachael Dexter, Reuters and Associated Press
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle...-gaza-20231014-p5eca2.html?post=p55bjn#p55bjn
A dozen journalists have been killed in the eight days since the Israel-Gaza conflict began - the deadliest week in the region in 30 years according to a global press freedom body.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, founded in 1981 by a group of US correspondents, said this weekend that it was collating reports of all journalists “killed, injured, detained or missing in the war, including those hurt as hostilities spread to neighbouring Lebanon”.
Among its
growing list of casualties and injured are local media reporters and those with international agencies Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Agence France-Press.
Iraqi Reuters photographer Thaer Al-Sudani, who was injured by Israeli shelling, attends the funeral procession of his colleague videographer Issam Abdallah, killed in the same shelling, in his hometown of Khiam, southern Lebanon. Credit: Bilal Hussein
Ten Palestinian journalists have been confirmed dead, one Israeli journalist has been confirmed killed, and a Beirut-based journalist has also been
killed during a shelling attack in southern Lebanon according to CPJ.
Two others are missing and eight are injured. In the same period, the conflict claimed more than 3,200 lives on both sides and resulted in many thousands of injuries.
A funeral for Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was held yesterday in southern Lebanon.
Abdallah was killed while working with other journalists near the village of Alma al-Shaab, close to the Israeli border, where the Israeli military and Lebanese militia Hezbollah have been trading fire.
An Israeli shell landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon. Six other journalists were injured in the incident.
Mourners carry the body of Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah on Saturday. Credit: Associated Press
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.
“Journalists are making great sacrifices across the region covering this important conflict. Measures to ensure their safety must be taken by all parties to stop this deadly and heavy toll.”