Tarek El Sayed Abu Skheil, a 31-year-old Palestinian who was the head of electronic media at the local Al-Quds Radio, was killed by Israeli forces after they stormed the Al-Shifa medical complex in western Gaza City on March 18, 2024, where he had sought refuge with his brother and cousin, according to media reports, and his employer, who spoke to CPJ.
Abu Skheil, who became engaged the month before the October 7, 2023, start of the war, was killed alongside his brother Mohamed the day after the Israeli raid on the complex.
CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces’ North America Media Desk in late September 2024, asking for comment on the killing of Tarek El Sayed Abu Skheil. In an exchange that followed, the IDF asked CPJ for the journalists’ IDs and "relevant coordinates," which CPJ explained it could not provide due to research limitations. The IDF then said it could not fully address CPJ’s inquiry due to a lack of "sufficient details." The IDF said it takes "all operationally feasible measures" to prevent harm to journalists and other civilians, asserting that "many" on CPJ’s list were Hamas members and therefore lawful targets, but did not name the journalists or provide evidence they were Hamas fighters.