Israeli forces killed at least 217 journalists and media workers in the first 15 months of the genocide in Gaza. The attacks on those who risked their lives to tell Palestinian stories included drone strikes, sniper fire, strikes on shelters, the bombing of a camp in a hospital complex, and airstrikes on journalists at home with their families. While Israel has escalated these assaults to unprecedented levels, its military has killed journalists with impunity for decades.
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On October 13, 2023, seven journalists with Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Al Jazeera reported from southern Lebanon. They wore vests marked “PRESS” and worked near a car with “TV” in large print on its hood. From about 5 p.m., the group was stationary in an open area, around one kilometer from Israel’s border.
Reporting on cross-border fire while “between one and two kilometers” from the hostilities, the Reuters crew broadcast about 45 minutes of live footage, and the Al Jazeera team taped two live reports. An Israeli Apache helicopter hovered overhead “for more than 40 minutes,” and the group’s footage shows a line of sight to an Israeli observation tower.