A journalists’ organization reported the deaths of at least 12 journalists on Saturday due to fighting between the militant group Hamas and Israel.
“As of October 14, at least 12 journalists were killed, two were missing and eight were injured in the first eight days of fighting,” the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on its website.
According to the Associated Press, the conflict has already resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people on both sides. This already high death toll could rise further as an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is expected soon.
“Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks trying to cover the conflict amid a ground attack by Israeli troops, devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications and widespread power outages,” the CPJ said.
“In the first eight days of the conflict, ten Palestinian journalists were confirmed dead; “It was confirmed that one Israeli journalist was killed and one was reported missing,” the CPJ continued. “On October 13, a Beirut-based journalist was killed and six others injured in a grenade attack in southern Lebanon.”
Israel ordered the evacuation of about a million people in northern Gaza to the southern part of the territory on Friday. The United Nations warned that the movement of large numbers of people within a 24-hour period could be catastrophic.
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians who do important work in times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” Sherif Mansour, CPJ program coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, said on its website. “Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices in reporting on this important conflict. All parties must take action to ensure their safety to stop this deadly and heavy toll.”
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