Another Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli bombing, toll rises to 174 since October 2023
Gaza/NEW DELHI: The government media office in the Gaza Strip reported that another Palestinian journalist was killed in an Israeli strike on Monday, bringing the death toll of journalists to 174 since October 2023.
Journalists Wafa al-Udaini, her husband Munir Attia Darwish al-Udaini, and their two children, Tamim and Balsam, were killed after their home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, was bombed.
In a statement, the Palestinian Media Forum (PMF) highlighted that Israeli warplanes killed a media activist who was at the forefront of conveying the Palestinian narrative to the foreign media. The statement added that the family was killed as a result of a treacherous Israeli bombardment.
The forum stated that journalist Wafa al-Udaini dedicated her life and efforts to working with international media by writing articles, engaging in dialogue with foreign activists, participating in online conferences, organising photo exhibitions, and hosting short film competitions to explain the Palestinian story.
The PMF noted that the media has lost a free voice for Palestine and its people in their struggle for freedom and self-determination.
Wafa al-Udaini now joins the ranks of media martyrs, with the number of journalists killed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza after October 7, 2023, rising to 174.
To date, Israel has killed more than 41,600 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women, children, and adolescents, and injured at least 96,300 others. The forum emphasized the continuation of their message and media coverage, despite the immense sacrifices and challenges, stating that the deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists by Israel will not weaken their resolve or divert their focus from Palestine.
The PMF renewed its call for the protection of journalists in Gaza, allowing them to perform their professional duties in accordance with international laws and humanitarian charters. The forum also urged accountability for the Israeli occupation’s ongoing crimes against Palestinian journalists.
