The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike that targeted a tent sheltering journalists in southern Gaza on Monday, April 7, 2025. The attack resulted in the death of one journalist and injuries to eight others. CPJ is urging the international community to take immediate action to prevent further attacks on Palestinian media professionals.
Details of the Airstrike
The airstrike struck a designated media tent within the grounds of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The blast killed Hilmi al-Faqaawi, a social media manager for Palestine Today TV, a broadcaster aligned with the pro-Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement. The explosion also injured eight journalists working with major international and regional media outlets.
Injured Journalists Identified
The injured journalists include:
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Ahmed Mansour, editor at Palestine Today news agency
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Ahmed Al-Agha, contributor to BBC Arabic
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Mohammed Fayeq, freelance photojournalist and drone operator
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Abdullah Al-Attar, freelance photographer for Anadolu Agency
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Ihab Al-Bardini, camera operator contributing to ABC News (U.S.)
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Mahmoud Awad, camera operator for Al Jazeera
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Majed Qudaih, correspondent for Radio Algerie
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Ali Eslayeh, photographer for the West Bank-based outlet Alam24
Reports indicate that some of the injured sustained severe burns and require urgent medical evacuation for treatment.
Israel’s Justification and Controversy
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike targeted Hassan Eslayeh, a freelance journalist accused of being affiliated with Hamas. According to the IDF, Eslayeh participated in the October 7, 2023, attack and was injured in the April 7 strike. The IDF referred to Eslayeh as a “terrorist” who “participated in the bloody massacre.”
In 2023, the pro-Israeli media group HonestReporting published a photo showing Eslayeh being kissed by Yahya Sinwar, then a senior Hamas leader. Following that publication, major news organizations—including CNN, the Associated Press, and Reuters—severed ties with Eslayeh.
CPJ’s Response and Call for Action
CPJ condemned the attack as part of a repeated pattern of targeting journalists in Gaza. “This is not the first time Israel has targeted a tent sheltering journalists,” the statement noted. Sara Qudah, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Director, criticized the international community’s inaction, stating, “The international community’s failure to act has allowed these attacks on the press to continue with impunity, undermining efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.”
Qudah also demanded the immediate evacuation of the injured journalists for urgent medical treatment and emphasized the need to protect Gaza’s already devastated press corps.
Lack of Response from Israeli Military
CPJ reported that it contacted the IDF’s North America Media Desk for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Rising Dangers for Journalists in the Israel-Gaza Conflict
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023, has proven particularly deadly for journalists. According to CPJ, more than 170 journalists and media workers have been killed since the conflict erupted, marking one of the deadliest periods for the press in recent history.
As calls for accountability mount, CPJ reiterated its demand for the protection of journalists under international law and urged global leaders to take meaningful steps to stop further violence against media professionals in Gaza.
