A new study from Brown University reveals that Israel has killed more journalists in Gaza than in World Wars I and II, Vietnam, and Afghanistan combined—silencing witnesses to genocide.
In the annals of modern warfare, no conflict has been deadlier for journalists than Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza. A damning new report from Brown University’s Costs of War Project, titled News Graveyards: How Dangers to War Reporters Endanger the World, lays bare the systematic targeting of the press in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more journalists in 18 months than died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and Afghanistan— combined.
Since October 7, 2023, at least 232 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Al Jazeera investigations. To put that in perspective:
- World Wars I & II: 69 journalists killed.
- Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos: 71 journalists killed.
- Afghanistan (2001-2021): 67 journalists killed.
- Gaza (2023-2025): 232 journalists killed—13 per month, a rate unmatched in history.
The report, authored by journalist Nick Turse, exposes Israel’s multipronged assault on press freedom:
1. Targeted Killings: At least 35 journalists were directly targeted by Israeli forces, per Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Others were indiscriminately bombed alongside civilians.
2. Blocking Foreign Press: Israel has barred nearly all independent foreign journalists from entering Gaza, forcing the world to rely on besieged Palestinian reporters—who are then systematically killed.
3. Media Blackouts: Israel has destroyed 90 press facilities, cut off electricity and internet, and smeared survivors as “Hamas collaborators.”
The case of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abudaqa is emblematic: wounded in an Israeli drone strike, he bled to death over five hours as the IDF blocked medics from reaching him. His colleague, Wael Dahdouh—who lost his wife, son, daughter, grandson, and another son (also a journalist) to Israeli strikes—survived, only to keep reporting under fire.
Most victims are Palestinian journalists, who now face what Turse calls the “outsourcing of risk.” As Western newsrooms shutter foreign bureaus, local reporters bear the brunt—underpaid, underprotected, and left to document their own genocide.
The toll extends beyond bullets and bombs:
- 1 in 10 journalists in Gaza have been killed, per an Intercept analysis.
- 380 journalists wounded, many now permanently disabled.
- 75 journalists arrested by Israel, often tortured.
The report underscores Washington’s complicity. The U.S. approved billions of dollars in military aid to Israel post-October 7, funding the very weapons used to kill journalists. Meanwhile, American media largely parrot Israeli narratives, with few challenging the blockade on Gaza access.
Israel’s tactics mirror a broader war on truth:
- 90% of journalist murders worldwide go unpunished (UNESCO).
- Russia, Syria, the U.S. in Iraq, and now Israel have normalized killing reporters with no consequences.
Yet Gaza is unique in scale.
Despite the carnage, Palestinian journalists persist.
The Brown report ends with a call to action: solidarity with Gaza’s journalists is not just a moral duty—it’s a battle for the world’s right to know.
But as the bodies pile up, one question remains: How many more must die before the world acts?