Two Palestinian Journalists Killed Within 24 Hours as Israeli Airstrikes Intensify in Gaza
LONDON, July 15— Two Palestinian journalists were killed on Sunday in separate Israeli airstrikes amid an escalating wave of violence in the Gaza Strip, local sources reported, marking another tragic blow to media workers covering the ongoing conflict.
Fadi Khalifa, a journalist, was killed while inspecting the ruins of his home in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza City. The airstrike, which also reportedly killed at least one other individual, struck the heavily damaged area as Khalifa assessed the destruction left by earlier bombings.
In a separate attack in the Al-Qarara region north of Khan Yunis, well-known photojournalist Hussam Saleh Al-Adlouni was killed along with his wife, Suad, and their three children. The family had been sheltering in a tent after being displaced from their home, according to the WAFA news agency.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate issued a strong condemnation, accusing Israel of “deliberately targeting media workers” and adding the deaths to what it called an “abysmal record of crimes against the press.”
“These journalists were not on the front lines with weapons — they were documenting the truth under unimaginable danger,” the syndicate said in a statement.
The latest deaths bring the total number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, to 231, according to official Palestinian figures. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has recorded 178 journalist fatalities, including 176 Palestinians and two Israelis, making this the deadliest period for journalists in modern history.
Gaza’s health authorities and medical sources reported that at least 92 civilians were killed on Sunday alone, with 52 of those deaths occurring in central and southern Gaza.
The intensification of Israeli airstrikes follows continued hostilities with no formal ceasefire agreement in place, despite months of international efforts to mediate a lasting truce.
Press freedom groups and humanitarian organizations have called for independent investigations into the deaths of journalists and civilian casualties in Gaza, stressing the need for international legal accountability for violations of the laws of war.
“Journalists are not collateral damage. They are civilians with a critical role in documenting the human cost of conflict,” said a CPJ spokesperson.
As the war continues unabated, media workers remain among the most vulnerable—often working in extreme conditions with minimal protection. Observers warn that the targeting of journalists not only threatens press freedom but also limits the world’s ability to witness the realities of war on the ground.