On World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations raised grave concerns about the systematic killing of journalists in Gaza, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting members of the press. Ajith Sunghay, the UN Human Rights Office’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that there is compelling evidence that many of the killings were intentional.

With more than 210 Palestinian journalists killed since 7 October, Gaza has become one of the deadliest places on earth for media workers. Sunghay, speaking with visible concern, said he has never witnessed such a brutal toll on journalists in such a short span of time in any conflict during his career.

He stressed that journalists, as civilians, are protected under international humanitarian law, and their killing constitutes a serious violation. He called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral duties, particularly under the Geneva Conventions, by pushing for an immediate ceasefire and ending the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

The voices of Gaza’s journalists have been among the last lifelines connecting the world to the suffering on the ground. Their deaths are not only personal tragedies—they represent a deliberate attempt to silence the truth. As calls grow louder for accountability, press freedom in Gaza has become yet another casualty in a war waged without restraint.