CPJ and partners call on President Biden to protect journalists in the Israel-Gaza war

This week, CPJ repeats our call: The continuous killings of journalists and their family members by Israeli army fire must end: journalists are civilians, not targets.

On Sunday, an Israeli drone strike killed Al-Jazeera journalist Hamza Al Dahdouh—who was the son of Al-Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al Dahdouh and the fifth member of his family to die in the Israel-Gaza war—and freelance journalist Mustafa Thuraya on Sunday as they drove their car to an assignment in southern Gaza.

On Wednesday, CPJ joined five other press freedom and human rights organizations on Wednesday in calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to act immediately and decisively to promote the conditions for safe and unrestricted reporting on the hostilities in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon.

The letter entreats Biden to take action: “We believe your administration can and must do more to effectively pursue accountability for journalists killed in the hostilities and to protect and support local and international journalists covering it.”

Read the full letter here.

As of January 10, 79 journalists and media workers were confirmed dead, including 72 Palestinian, 4 Israeli, and 3 Lebanese. CPJ has repeatedly expressed concern at the apparent targeting of journalists reporting on the war, which has taken an unprecedented toll on the media community. Scores of journalists and their family members have been killed since the start of fighting on October 7.

Find our latest reporting on the war here.

Committee to Protect Journalists