Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

1 April 2025

What happened?

A report published on 1 April 2025 described the killing of a journalist and members of his family when a strike hit a home in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, amid a series of attacks affecting civilians and residential buildings.

Impact on civilians

The fact that journalistic work and family life take place in the same location does not remove the legal protection afforded to civilians and their homes.

Press Freedom and the Protection of Journalists

Civilian journalists enjoy the protections granted to civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities. Reporting the news is not, in itself, participation in combat, and every deadly attack requires an independent examination of the facts.

What is needed to protect residents?

These developments call for careful monitoring of the reported attack and its consequences, timely information for affected families, and access to medical care, relief, and appropriate remedies. Verified facts must be distinguished from legal assessments requiring investigation by competent authorities.

Image: Illustrative archival photograph; it does not necessarily show the incident described in this article. Image credits and licensing information on Wikimedia Commons