Press freedom organisations have condemned the killing of two journalists in Gaza on Monday. Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent, was killed in an airstrike on his car in Beit Lahiya. Mohammed Mansour, another correspondent for Palestine Today, died along with his wife and son in an airstrike on his home in Khan Younis.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Palestinian press freedom organisations have released statements condemning the attacks. “We are appalled that Palestinians are weeping over the bodies of dead journalists in Gaza,” said Carlos MartÃnez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “Journalists are civilians and it is illegal to attack them in a war zone.”
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has confirmed targeting and killing Shabat and Mansour, labelling them as terrorists. However, Al Jazeera and Shabat denied these claims. The IDF had previously accused other Palestinian journalists working for Al Jazeera of being members of militant groups.
The CPJ estimates that over 170 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. Palestinian Journalists Syndicate puts the number at higher, with 208 reported deaths. Under international law, journalists are protected civilians who must not be targeted by warring parties.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/mar/25/journalists-killed-israeli-strikes-hossam-shabat-mohammed-mansour-press-freedom-groups-condemn