The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza announced on Monday that the number of journalists killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive has risen to 210, following the death of Helmi al-Faqaawi in an airstrike overnight.

Al-Faqaawi, a journalist with the Palestine Today News Agency, was martyred while covering events near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, when Israeli forces shelled a tent designated for media workers.

The same attack claimed the life of Youssef al-Khazandar, a young civilian, and left nine other journalists wounded. The injured, identified as Hassan Eslaih, Ahmed Mansour, Ahmed Al-Agha, Mohammed Fayek, Abdullah Al-Attar, Ihab Al-Bardini, Mahmoud Awad, Majed Qdeih, and Ali Eslaih, were rushed to local hospitals with injuries ranging in severity. The GMO stated that al-Faqaawi was performing his professional duties, documenting what it described as "the crimes of the occupation," at the time of the strike.

In a strongly worded statement, the GMO condemned the targeting of journalists as a deliberate crime, accusing Israel of systematically silencing the press. It called on global media bodies, including the International Federation of Journalists and the Arab Journalists Union, to denounce the attack and advocate for the protection of Palestinian journalists. "This is a war on truth," the statement read, urging immediate action to halt the violence against media workers.

The GMO also pointed fingers at the Israeli government, the United States, and European nations—specifically Britain, Germany, and France—holding them accountable for what it called complicity through their silence and support. It argued that the lack of international outcry emboldens Israel to continue its assaults on journalists and civilians alike.

The office appealed to press freedom and human rights organizations worldwide to pursue justice by bringing Israeli officials to the International Court of Justice. It demanded an end to the aggression and practical measures to safeguard journalists in Gaza, who, it said, are risking their lives to fulfill their humanitarian and professional roles amid a conflict that has devastated the enclave since October 2023.

The strike on the journalists’ tent is the latest in a series of incidents that have made Gaza one of the deadliest places for media workers, with the GMO and other groups accusing Israel of intentionally targeting those who document the war’s toll. As the death toll mounts, calls for accountability and protection grow louder, though tangible responses from the international community remain limited. (ILKHA)