May: A Grim Month In The Record Of Targeting Journalists In Gaza

By Palestinian Journalists Protection Center

The Palestinian Journalists Protection Center (PJPC) has documented the killing of seven Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip during the month of May alone—at a time when the world marks "World Press Freedom Day." This makes May one of the deadliest periods for media workers since the beginning of the war.

According to the center’s monitoring, the latest journalist killed was Moataz Rajab, a correspondent for Al-Quds Al-Youm channel, who was martyred on May 28 following an "israeli" airstrike that targeted a civilian vehicle on Al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City. This brought the number of journalists killed in May to seven.

The center reported that the total number of journalists killed since October 7, 2023, has risen to 221, marking the deadliest wave of journalist killings in modern history.

On May 25, the center documented the killing of journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda, director of Barq Gaza news agency, in an "israeli" airstrike that hit his home in northern Gaza. The center affirmed that targeting journalists’ homes and displacement areas "reflects a systematic pattern of grave violations of international humanitarian law."

On May 18, journalist Abdel Rahman Al-Abadleh was killed. He was preceded by journalist Ahmad Al-Helou, a correspondent for Quds Network, and journalist Hassan Sammour, who was killed along with his family in an airstrike on their home east of Khan Younis on May 15. Journalist Hassan Aslih was martyred on May 13 while receiving treatment at Nasser Medical Complex. On May 7, journalists Nour El-Din Abdo and Yahya Sobeih were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes.

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The center stated that "turning the month of May into a graveyard for journalists in Gaza is further evidence of israel’s violation of press freedom and disregard for international law," calling for independent international investigations and accountability for those responsible.

The center reiterated that targeting journalists and civilians in conflict zones constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, warranting legal prosecution and international accountability.

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