Journalists Hossam Shabat and Mohammed Mansour killed in targeted airstrikes, as the death toll among media workers continues to rise.
Palestinian journalists Hossam Shabat and Mohammed Mansour were killed on Monday in Israeli airstrikes that targeted them in separate locations in Gaza.
Shabat, a contributor to Al Jazeera Mubasher, was killed in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, when an Israeli airstrike hit his car.
Less than an hour earlier, he had posted on Facebook about the death of Mansour, who was killed in a similar Israeli strike that targeted his apartment in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.
The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Mansour and Shabat’s deaths bring the total number of journalists killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza to 208.
The office condemned the attacks as deliberate assassinations of Palestinian journalists.
It also called on international press organizations—including the International Federation of Journalists and the Arab Journalists Union—to take action against these continued violations of press freedom.
In a heartbreaking moment, the mother of journalist Hussam Shabbat bids a final farewell to her son, overwhelmed with shock and grief after his martyrdom. #HussamShabbat pic.twitter.com/gRmRsDmVjs
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 24, 2025
International organizations and press freedom advocates have repeatedly raised alarms over the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza. Despite growing calls for accountability, Israeli forces continue their military operations, making Gaza one of the deadliest places in the world for media professionals.
The latest airstrikes come amid a rising civilian death toll in Gaza.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that Israeli bombings over the past 48 hours have killed 61 people and wounded 134.
The ministry warned that an unknown number of victims remain trapped under rubble, as rescue efforts are severely hindered by fuel shortages and the breakdown of civil defense equipment.
Ongoing Genocide
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
In a heartbreaking moment, the mother of journalist Hussam Shabbat bids a final farewell to her son, overwhelmed with shock and grief after his martyrdom. #HussamShabbat pic.twitter.com/gRmRsDmVjs
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 24, 2025
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
(PC, AJA)
Well, if the genocide was restarted with Washington’s approval, all that proves is that the US is complicit in genocide, and cannot claim ignorance. Now as I write this, various opponents of the US are sharpening their knives, the US as represented by Trump has alienated a vast swathe of the most powerful nations besides itself, and has set off a round of actions intended to break the US’s economic clout for good. Those knives will find their target.