Israel Has Killed More Than 240 Journalists Since 2023, Most of Them in Gaza
By the count of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the most restrictive of all, Israel has killed 241 media professionals since October 2023: 191 Palestinians in Gaza and in prisons, plus people killed in Yemen, Lebanon and Iran. In 74 cases, the committee confirmed the journalist was a deliberate target.
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IllustrationThe Most Restrictive Count
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an American organization that has documented deaths of media professionals since 1992, maintains a page dedicated to the war that began on October 7, 2023. In its most recent update, with data as of September 24, 2026, it records at least 247 journalists and media workers killed in the region's wars. Israel killed 241 of them.
Most died in Gaza: 189 Palestinians in the territory and 2 in Israeli detention centers, 191 in total. The other 50 were killed by Israel outside Gaza: 31 in Yemen, 16 in Lebanon and 3 in Iran. On the other side, the CPJ records 4 Israeli journalists killed by Hamas in the October 7 attack. There are also 174 injured, 118 imprisoned and 2 missing.
In 74 cases, the committee confirmed that the journalist was a deliberate target: 58 journalists and 16 media workers, such as producers, drivers and technicians. The CPJ says the real number of intentional killings may be higher, because not every case could be investigated in depth. In the organization's own conclusion, Israel “has killed more journalists and media workers than any other government” since the survey began.
Why the Number Changes From Source to Source
The CPJ's is the most conservative count. In June 2026, after obituaries published by Hamas and Islamic Jihad identified some names on the list as fighters, the committee conducted a full review: it removed 19 people who, according to its investigation, were engaged in combat, removed 3 others who were not journalists, restored 6 cases and reclassified 12. Even after the review, it maintained that Israeli forces account for “by far the majority of journalist killings” in the world since 2023.
Other organizations arrive at higher numbers. The UN counted 242 Palestinian journalists killed as early as August 2025. The Gaza government's media office, linked to Hamas, announced 263 on September 30, 2026. The International Federation of Journalists put it at at least 180 in August 2025. The differences come down to criteria: who counts as a journalist, how to treat those who also had ties to an armed group, and whether the death was related to their work. By any of these counts, it is the deadliest war for the press ever recorded.
The Record Year
The CPJ's annual report, published in February 2026, recorded 129 journalists killed worldwide in 2025, the highest number in the series. Almost half died in Gaza. In 2024, already a record until then, Israel had been responsible for almost 70% of journalist deaths on the planet.
Israel says it does not target journalists and that some of the dead had ties to Hamas. What the world has seen of Gaza since 2023 is, in large part, the work of the Palestinian reporters on this list.
The numbers
| Indicator | Value | Period | Area | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journalists and media workers killed by Israel | 241 of 247 killed in the region's wars | Oct. 7, 2023 to Sept. 24, 2026 | Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran and Israeli prisons | CPJ, preliminary count after June 2026 review Source |
| Palestinians killed in Gaza and in detention | 191 189 in Gaza, 2 in detention centers | Oct. 7, 2023 to Sept. 24, 2026 | Gaza and Israel | CPJ Source |
| Confirmed deliberate killings | 74 58 journalists, 16 media workers | Oct. 7, 2023 to Sept. 24, 2026 | region | CPJ; the committee says the real number may be higher Source |
| Gaza government count | 263 Palestinian journalists | through Sept. 30, 2026 | Gaza | Gaza government media office, linked to Hamas Source |
Sources
- Journalist casualties during the Israel–Gaza war and related regional conflicts
As of 9/24/2026: at least 247 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Israel and Iran since 10/7/2023; 241 by Israel (189 Palestinians in Gaza, 2 in detention centers, 31 Yemenis, 16 Lebanese, 3 Iranians); 6 by other actors (4 Israelis killed by Hamas). 74 confirmed murders (58 journalists, 16 media workers); 174 injured, 118 imprisoned, 2 missing. June 2026 review: 19 removed for engaging in combat, 3 for not being journalists, 6 restored.
Preliminary count, according to the CPJ itself.
- CPJ retira 19 palestinianos da lista de jornalistas mortos em Gaza por serem militantes do Hamas
After the review, the CPJ attributes to Israel 191 deaths of Palestinians who worked as journalists or in the media, and maintains that Israeli forces account for the vast majority of journalist killings in the world since 2023.
- No mundo, 129 jornalistas assassinados em 2025, quase metade em Gaza
129 journalists killed worldwide in 2025, a record; almost half in Gaza.
- List of journalists killed in the Gaza war
Gaza government media office: 263 Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli army, as of 9/30/2026; UN: 242 in August 2025; IFJ: at least 180 in August 2025; RSF: 67 names in its barometer, with a narrower criterion.
Secondary source, used only to compare counts; each organization's numbers use different criteria.
- 2024 is deadliest year for journalists in CPJ history; almost 70% killed by Israel
2024 was the deadliest year for journalists in the CPJ's history, and Israel was responsible for almost 70% of the deaths.
