Gaza City, March 25, 2025 – Two Palestinian journalists were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Monday, bringing the number of media professionals killed in the conflict since October 2023 to at least 208, according to local authorities.

Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, was killed in an airstrike north of Khan Younis, while Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Hossam Shabat was struck while driving in Salah al-Din Street, northern Gaza. Shabat’s employer confirmed his death, and colleagues later published a statement he had written before his killing, urging the world to continue reporting on Gaza’s plight.

Gaza’s Government Media Office strongly condemned the attacks, calling them part of a systematic campaign against Palestinian journalists. It accused Israel, the United States, and their allies—including the United Kingdom, Germany, and France—of responsibility for what it labeled a “heinous crime.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also denounced the killings, calling for a full investigation. CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg described the targeting of journalists as a war crime and reiterated that “journalists and civilians must never be targeted.”

The Israeli military acknowledged responsibility for Shabat’s killing, claiming without evidence that he was a combatant. In October 2024, Shabat had previously warned that Israeli forces were attempting to frame him and five other journalists in northern Gaza as targets for assassination.

“This blatant and belligerent attempt to transform us, the last witnesses in the north, into killable targets is an assassination threat,” he wrote at the time.

Shabat’s final words, published posthumously by his colleagues, urged continued global attention on Gaza: “Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”

The killings come as Israeli forces intensify their military operations in Gaza, particularly in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians remain trapped with limited access to food, water, and medical aid. Humanitarian organizations warn that emergency workers are unable to reach the wounded due to ongoing bombardment and restricted movement imposed by Israeli troops.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, along with international media organizations, continues to demand greater protections for journalists covering the war. Press freedom advocates have labeled the current period as one of the deadliest for journalists in modern history, with calls for urgent international intervention to hold perpetrators accountable.