The number of Palestinian journalists killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza has reached 228, following the recent death of reporter Ismail Abu Hatab. His killing highlights what press freedom groups and Palestinian institutions describe as a systematic effort to silence local reporting on the war and its humanitarian toll.

RELATED:

Israeli Military Site Torched in West Bank Amid Rising Tensions with Far-Right Settlers

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, Abu Hatab worked with several media outlets and participated in international exhibitions to document the situation on the ground. He had publicly condemned the targeting of journalists and held Israel, the United States, and countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France responsible for participating in the genocide against Palestine.

He also called on the International Federation of Journalists, the Union of Arab Journalists, and press organizations around the world to “sanction, document, and prosecute the crimes committed in Gaza,” and urged them to step up pressure to stop “the killing, imprisonment, and forced disappearance of media professionals in the region.”

The targeting of journalists in Gaza has drawn growing concern among human rights defenders and media watchdogs, who say the deaths of 228 reporters since October reflect a broader pattern of impunity for violations of international law.

In a related development, the Palestinian Authority for Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club confirmed the death of 22-year-old Louay Faisal Muhammad Nasrallah. He had been held without charges since March 2024 under Israel’s administrative detention policy. Nasrallah died at Soroka Medical Center after being transferred from the Negev prison. His family stated he had no preexisting health conditions, and Israeli authorities have not released any information regarding the cause of death.

His death brings the confirmed toll of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since October to 73. Rights groups have linked these deaths to torture, medical neglect, and inhumane prison conditions. In a joint statement, Palestinian institutions warned that “Israel uses illness as a deliberate tool of extermination” and demanded concrete international action to end the systematic abuse of detainees.

Despite repeated appeals, no international mechanisms have held Israeli forces accountable for the targeting of media workers or detainees. Observers warn that the lack of consequences encourages further violations and undermines the role of global institutions in upholding basic legal standards.

On the same day Abu Hatab’s death was confirmed, Israeli forces intensified airstrikes on Gaza City in the northern part of the Strip, killing and injuring dozens of civilians, including women and children. International human rights groups have described Israel’s campaign as a prolonged and ongoing violation of humanitarian law.
The continued killing of journalists, the rising number of deaths in detention, and the expansion of military operations reflect a broader crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories—one marked by escalating violence, lack of accountability, and a deepening failure of the international community to intervene effectively.

IN THIS ARTICLE