240 Journalists Killed, Gaza War Becomes The Deadliest Conflict For Journalists

JAKARTA - The number of journalists killed in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip since October 2023 has increased to 240, according to Palestinian authorities in the enclave on Saturday, August 23.

The last victim was Khaled Mohammed Al-Madhoun, a Palestinian TV cameraman.

On August 11, Al Jazeera reported the deaths of four of its staff, including a well-known reporter Anas Al-Sharif, after Israel attacked a journalist's tent near a hospital in Gaza City.

Followed by ANTARA, Sunday, August 24, the Israeli military (IDF) acknowledged the attack under the pretext that Al-Sharif worked for the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Later, Al Jazeera updated his report by mentioning the number of his staff who died as a result of the Israeli attack to five people.

Tahsin al-Astal, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Union, told RIA Novosti that the number of journalists killed had increased to six.

The deaths of 240 journalists made Israel's genocide war in Gaza the deadliest conflict for journalists in history, surpassing World Wars I and II (a total of 68), the Vietnam War (63), and the Afghanistan War (127).

The Indonesian People's Alliance Defends Palestine (ARI-BP) stated that Israel continues to strive to silence the truth with the number of journalists killed in the Gaza Strip.

Chairman of the ARI-BP Implementing Committee Zaitun Rasmin said that the Israeli assassination of journalists was "very heinous."

"This shows they not only kill humans, but want to kill, silence the truth. They don't want any voices, except their voices," said Zaitun during a discussion in Jakarta on August 14.

The war on the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7, 2023 after Hamas launched a massive rocket attack, broke through the border, killing about 1,200 people on the Israeli side, and holding more than 200 people hostage.

In retaliation, the IDF launched the Iron Sword Operation by attacking various civilian targets and imposing a total blockade on Gaza, including stopping supplies of water, electricity, fuel, food and medicine.

The fighting, which has only occasionally stalled by the brief ceasefire, has now killed more than 61,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis, as well as spread to Lebanon and Yemen, even triggering attacks on missiles between Israel and Iran.