Journalist death toll in Gaza rises to 220 as Israeli fresh strikes kill 20

The death toll among journalists in Gaza has risen to 220, following an Israeli airstrike on May 25 that killed journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and at least 19 others across the enclave, according to the Government Media Office.

Abu Warda, who served as the director of the Barq Gaza news agency, was killed along with several members of his family when their home in the Jabalia al-Nazla area was bombed, Caliber.Az reports, citing Arabic and European media sources.

“He was martyred along with several members of his family after the Israeli occupation bombed their home in the Jabalia al-Nazla area (northern Gaza Strip),” the Government Media Office said in a statement published on Telegram.

The office condemned what it described as the “systematic targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation.”

It further appealed to international journalist organizations to take action, stating: “We call on the International Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Arab Journalists, and all journalistic bodies in all countries of the world to condemn these systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip.”

The latest deaths in the Israeli campaign resulted from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, medics said.

In Jabalia, they said local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several family members were killed by an airstrike that hit his house earlier on May 25.

Another airstrike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their house, medics added.

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, journalists have been working under extraordinarily dangerous conditions, with media workers repeatedly caught in the crossfire or directly targeted in airstrikes. The conflict began after a large-scale Hamas attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and 251 hostages abducted into Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched a wide-ranging military operation across the Gaza Strip.

The conflict has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.

The Israeli offensive has led to massive destruction across the territory, including residential areas, hospitals, schools, and press offices. The United Nations and various human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed alarm at the high number of civilian casualties and the mounting death toll among journalists.

By Khagan Isayev