New York, October 7, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israel to investigate the killing on Saturday of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, make its findings public, and take immediate action to ensure the safety of media workers reporting on the biggest attack on Israel in years by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
In Saturday’s assault, Hamas gunmen crossed into Israel from Gaza and fired thousands of rockets, while Israel responded with air strikes into Gaza. Hundreds were killed on both sides.
Freelance journalist El-Salhi was shot dead on the border to the east of al-Bureij, a Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency Wafa, and the Journalist Support Committee, a nonprofit which promotes the rights of the media in the Middle East.
“We urge the Israel Defense Forces to thoroughly investigate the killing of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, identify those responsible for the shooting, and hold them to account.” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Israel’s army must take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of journalists covering the Israel-Gaza conflict.”
CPJ is investigating reports that at least two other Palestinian journalists were killed and three injured while reporting on Saturday’s attack.
CPJ’s emails to the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson for North America did not receive any replies.
In May, CPJ published “Deadly Pattern,” a report on the Israeli military’s killing of 20 journalists in 22 years—and how no one has been held accountable for those deaths.