Al Mezan Issues New Report on Israeli Violations Targeting Palestinian Media Workers in Gaza Amid Ongoing Genocide

Gaza, 1 September 2025 — Today, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan) has released a new report, “Kill the Witness, Hide the Crimes: Israel’s Campaign of Silencing Palestinian Journalists and Media Workers to Conceal the Gaza Genocide”, documenting the grave and systematic violations committed by Israel against Palestinian journalists and media workers during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Covering the period from 7 October 2023 to 30 June 2025, the report provides extensive evidence of killings, injuries, arbitrary detention, torture, incitement, and the wanton destruction of media infrastructure in Gaza.

According to Al Mezan’s documentation, Israeli forces killed 273 Palestinian journalists and media workers, injured 420 more, and arbitrarily detained 48 during the reporting period. Israeli attacks have also destroyed more than 100 media institutions. Journalists have been deliberately targeted in their homes, shelters, hospitals, and while carrying out their work in the field, even when clearly identified by visible ‘PRESS’ markings. Field data and sworn testimonies collected by Al Mezan regarding the different ways Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian journalists and media workers clearly indicate that they were deliberately targeted.

“The deliberate targeting of journalists is an attack on truth itself. By killing and intimidating Palestinian media professionals, Israel seeks to erase evidence of its crimes and silence those who bear witness. The international community cannot remain complicit. Every day of inaction fuels further impunity and bloodshed,” said Hussein Hammad, Al Mezan’s lead researcher for this report.

The report also highlights how Palestinian journalists and media workers have been the targets of smear campaigns by Israeli officials. High-level figures from the government and the military have singled out Palestinian journalists by name. Israel has assassinated some of these journalists, while others remain at serious risk as they continue to do their work.

Issam Younis, Al Mezan’s Director, added: “The report covers events up to 30 June 2025. Since then, Israel has killed 26 more, bringing the total number of Palestinian media professionals killed to 299. On 10 August 2025, Israel carried out a targeted attack on a press tent near Al-Shifa Hospital, killing six journalists and media workers. On 25 August 2025, Israel targeted five more Palestinian journalists at Nasser Hospital. This is what impunity breeds: the continued unlawful killing of journalists and a deliberate policy of silencing those who document and expose Israel’s serious violations of international law.”

Al Mezan’s report presents evidence showing that Israel’s attacks on Palestinian journalists and media workers are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic, State-led policy. The evidence also demonstrates that the deliberate targeting of journalists is aimed at suppressing truth, obstructing documentation of the ongoing genocide, and preventing the world from witnessing events on the ground. These acts, Al Mezan concludes, constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and fall within the legal definition of genocide.

The report warns that such violations are being committed in a context of international inaction, which in effect provides Israel with impunity and enables further killings. This failure to act contradicts binding rulings of the International Court of Justice and underscores the entrenched absence of accountability. Al Mezan calls on States, the International Criminal Court, and media organizations worldwide to take urgent and concrete measures to protect Palestinian journalists, pursue accountability, and end Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The full report is available on our website.