Dubai, UAE— At least 100 journalists have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, according to new figures released by the government media office in Gaza.
Palestinian journalist Muhammed Abu Hweidy was the latest to be killed in an Israeli air raid on his home in the east of Gaza City on Saturday, the media office said.
“The number of journalists killed has risen to 100, men and women, since the start of the brutal war on the Gaza Strip, after the martyrdom of journalist Mohammed Abu Hweidy in an Israeli airstrike in the Shujaiya neighborhood,” the office said on Telegram social media.
Palestinian officials in Gaza say the number could be much higher.
The conflict between Palestine and Israel has escalated, resulting in significant casualties among Palestinian journalists, with Al Jazeera reporting the death toll reaching one hundred. The latest victim, Palestinian journalist Muhammed Abu Hweidy, was killed in an Israeli air raid on his home in East Gaza City on Saturday.
In a separate development, a high-ranking member of Hamas was killed in a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the General Security Service (Shin Bet), as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Hassan Atrash, identified as responsible for trade, production, and equipping of Hamas’s military arm, was targeted in an airstrike by an Israeli fighter jet.
The Israeli military has also launched extensive raids in several West Bank cities, including Bethlehem, Nablus, Hebron, and Tulkarm.
Al Jazeera’s coverage indicates that these operations involve a significant deployment of Israeli forces, accompanied by heavy bulldozers. Clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli servicemen have been reported in various districts.
These developments mark a heightened phase in the ongoing conflict, with widespread operations taking place across the entire West Bank.