The number of journalists killed in the war between Israel and Hamas rises to 31

Among the victims are 26 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese

MADRID, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that 31 journalists have already lost their lives in the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Among the fatalities are 26 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese. In addition, there are eight journalists injured and nine missing or detained, according to the balance updated as of this Monday.

The agency is investigating all reports, including "numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, injured or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists' homes."

"CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians who do important work in times of crisis and should not be targeted by parties to the conflict. Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict," said CPJ. CPJ coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Sherif Mansur.

Furthermore, he stressed that Palestinians in Gaza "have paid and continue to pay an unprecedented price": "Many have lost colleagues, families and media facilities, and have fled in search of safety," he declared.

The journalists worked for media outlets such as Palestine TV, Al Sahel, Al Aqsa radio, Al Aqsa TV, Al Resalá television network, Ain Media, Al Shabab Radio, Palestine Today, Al Jamsa News, Jabar agency and the Fourth Authority agency. There were also several independent journalists.

The Israelis who died were from Ynet, Maariv, the Kan station and Israel Hayom. The journalist from Lebanon was hired by the Reuters news agency.

The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published this weekend an investigation into the death of a Reuters cameraman, Isam Abdullah, in southern Lebanon, revealing that it was a "deliberate attack" coming from the Israeli border against a group of journalists from various international agencies.

RSF recalls that the group of seven journalists had been in the same place for an hour, at the top of a hill, that they were clearly identified as press and equipped with vests and helmets, so it considers it "unlikely" that they could be confused with combatants. , "particularly because they weren't hiding."

A first projectile killed Abdullah and seriously injured AFP journalist Christina Assi. The second impact, which occurred just 37 seconds later, was more powerful and destroyed the Al Jazeera vehicle that had been identified with the word "PRESS" on the roof and injured several more journalists. The car was displaced 90 degrees from its initial position by the impact.

All this was recorded by another press team from the Lebanese television station LBCI that was recording about 100 meters from the place and the journalists from the first group, the one attacked, who also recorded an Apache helicopter - used by Israel - moments before the attack. bombing.

The Israeli Armed Forces immediately expressed that they "regretted" the incident and that they were "reviewing" what happened without further information being given at the moment.