99 Journalists Killed Throughout 2023: Highest Record Since 2015, Majority in Gaza Strip

Journalists in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. (Wikimedia Commons/Al Jazeera English)

JAKARTA - The conflict in Gaza is triggering a spike in deaths of journalists and media workers in 2023, according to a report released Thursday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

More than 75 percent of the 99 journalists and media workers who lost their lives around the world died in the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza.

The overall death toll is the highest recorded by CPJ since 2015.

"This conflict claimed the lives of more journalists in three months than the number of deaths in one country in an entire year," wrote Kathy Jones, CPJ deputy editorial director in the report, reported by CNN, February 16.

Jones further explained that the investigation was difficult because people who could have provided more information about the deaths of their co-workers or loved ones had also been killed or left the area.

"Many of the families of the victims of journalists killed were with them in Gaza, their colleagues died or fled, while Israeli military authorities categorically deny they targeted journalists or provide little information when they admit to killing journalists," Jones wrote.

Nearly all of the journalists killed in the war were Palestinian, according to the report, and Jones said CPJ "raises concerns about the deliberate targeting of members of the media by the Israeli military."

CPJ classified such killings as "homicides," the report said.

Video analyzed by CNN shows journalists wearing body armor clearly labeled "press" as Israeli forces invade Lebanon in October.

Jones said the committee saw evidence showing the Israel Defense Forces targeted about a dozen other journalists because of their work.

Responding to the CPJ report, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had made efforts to reduce the negative impact on journalists.

"The IDF is taking all operationally feasible measures to reduce harm to civilians including journalists. The IDF has never, and will never, intentionally target journalists," the military said in a statement.