Photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, killed by an Israeli airstrike on June 30, 2025, in the Al-Baqa massacre, marking him as the 228th journalist killed in Gaza since the genocide began. Photo shared by @AJA_Palestine - Public Domain.
Palestine & Israel

Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill 228 Journalists, Including Ismail Abu Hatab

Escalating Violence Targets Media Workers Amid Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

Naffah

Rising Journalist Death Toll

Israeli attacks in Gaza have claimed the lives of 228 journalists, with the latest being photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, killed in a strike on al-Baqa rest area along Gaza City’s beach.

Abu Hatab, who worked with multiple media platforms, documented Gaza’s dire conditions through photography, including exhibitions abroad to highlight the region’s humanitarian crisis.

Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned the “systematic targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation,” noting the mounting toll since October 7, 2023.

Deadly Strikes Across Gaza

The violence extends beyond journalists, with at least 80 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza in a single day, including 57 in northern Gaza and 15 aid seekers near distribution centers in north Rafah.

A crowd in Khan Younis, far from military targets, was hit by heavy artillery, while Israeli jets struck a displacement center near Gaza’s seaport, killing 21, including women, children, and the elderly.

Eyewitnesses reported that those targeted posed no threat, emphasizing the indiscriminate nature of the attacks, which also left nearly 50 wounded, many seriously.

Dire Humanitarian Impact

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed over 56,531 civilians, mostly women and children, and injured over 133,642 others, with many victims still trapped under rubble.

Medical facilities, overwhelmed by the wounded, face severe shortages of staff and supplies.

Bayan Abu Sultan, a Palestinian journalist known for documenting Israeli military actions in Gaza, before and after an Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa cafe. Abu Sultan was previously trapped near Al-Shifa Hospital in March 2024, as reported by RSF and confirmed by colleague Ahmed El-Madhoun.

Journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was also injured in the beach strike, highlighting the relentless dangers faced by civilians and media workers alike.

The attack on al-Baqa Cafe, a refuge for displaced families, underscores the worsening crisis, with images of injured children and destroyed buildings circulating online.

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