Tel Aviv [Israel], November 2 : Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, a total of 33 journalists have lost their lives, CNN reported citing a statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released on Thursday.
Among the casualties, there were 28 Palestinian journalists, four Israeli journalists, and one journalist from Lebanon, according to the CPJ.
Additionally, eight journalists were reported as injured, and nine others were either missing or detained, as stated by the CPJ.
The Israel-Gaza war has taken a severe toll on journalists since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7 and Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
"CPJ is investigating all reports of journalists and media workers killed, injured, detained, or missing in the war, including those hurt as hostilities spread to neighbouring Lebanon. As of November 2, CPJ's preliminary investigations showed at least 33 journalists and media workers were among more than 10,000 killed since the war began on October 7with an estimated 8,935 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and the West Bank and 1,400 deaths in Israel," the New York-based organisation said in its statement.
CPJ is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists' homes.
"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, adding, "Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats. Many have lost colleagues, families, and media facilities, and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit."
Israel's Government Press Office reported that since the start of the "Iron Swords" war, it has received a record number of 1,880 foreign journalists.
This is twice the number of journalists who arrived in Israel during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza, and the most during any Israeli military operation.
The United States (358), Great Britain (281), France (221) and Germany (102) sent the largest numbers of journalists to Israel so far.
Even countries that rarely report from Israel, such as Romania, Argentina, Nepal and Singapore have sent journalists to cover the war.
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