According to a new study published by Brown University on April 1, more Palestinian reporters have been killed by the Israeli army than the combined total of journalists in the US Civil War; First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and four other conflicts – including the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia and post 9/11 wars.
As of March 26, 263 Palestinian journalists and aid workers have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023.
Gazan reporters were simply doing their job: telling us what international journalists, who are banned from entering the Gaza Strip by Israeli authorities, cannot. Without them, we are blind to the war crimes Israel is committing against Gazan civilians.
They are witnessing war crimes that can later be used as evidence in The Hague. During the Syrian civil war, emergency workers at the White Helmets were reportedly targeted because they wore Go-Pro cameras on their helmets, documenting the war.
Journalists should be protected under the Geneva Conventions as long as they do not take part in the hostilities. But Israel has not abided by any international law. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied an International Criminal Court arrest warrant by travelling to Hungary. Journalists are possibly their biggest threat, even more so than Hamas’s rockets.
“The Israel-Gaza war war has been the deadliest conflict that the CPJ [Committee to Protect Journalists] has ever documented and is unprecedented in both the devastation it has wrought on the local press corps but also in the complete ban on independent media access from outside,” says Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the CPJ.
One among the deceased was 23-year-old Hossam Shabat, who worked for Al Jazeera Mubasher. He wrote a touching letter before he was killed in late March in northern Gaza. “If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed – most likely targeted – by the Israeli occupation forces.
“I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents – anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.”
Shabat started reporting before completing his university degree as the war escalated, refusing to move south with his family when civilians were being evacuated. He was separated from them for more than 400 days. Shortly before his death, he posted a photograph of his joyous reunion with his mother after 427 days. Now Israeli hawks are attempting to defame Shabat by claiming he was a Hamas operative. This is the easy thing for them to do: anyone who criticises Israeli policy is branded a Hamas supporter – including foreign reporters and academics.
As a former war reporter who lost many colleagues on the battlefield, I know very well the dangers of reporting war. But the journalists in Gaza who are dying are a very different case than my colleagues who died in Bosnia, Sierra Leone or Syria.
As a former war reporter who lost many colleagues on the battlefield, I know very well the dangers of reporting war. But the journalists in Gaza who are dying are a very different case
There, they were caught in crossfires, mortar attacks or an unlucky sniper’s bullet (aside from colleagues who died in an ambush by rebel forces in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown in May 2000). The Gazans are dying because it appears the Israeli forces do not want them to live to tell their story.
Last week in Perugia, Italy, thousands of journalists from around the globe gathered for the five-day International Journalism Festival that concluded on Sunday. There, reporters and scholars, media heads and donors attended panels, workshops and discussions about the threats to media in society, but also to highlight the dangers and restrictions.
Last year, the CPJ's Ginsberg gathered hundreds of journalists in the town square for a moment of silence in solidarity with the Gazan journalists. It was one of the most moving moments of my long career.
I would like to believe the Israeli authorities will read the report by Brown University and consider what it does to their reputation. But the Israeli propagandist machine, known by the generic term hasbara or “explanation”, feeds the population an entirely different version of the truth.
The Israeli leadership has long believed that it is necessary “to aggressively distort the truth to manipulate adversaries and allies”, according to a report in The Intercept. Led by Likud Party and Netanyahu loyalists, they are basically rewriting history.
But all of this does nothing for the grieving families of the 263 journalists. Nor does it help to fill the information vacuum their deaths leave.
However, their deaths make other Gazan journalists more determined and steadier. They keep on going, knowing that their work is crucial. Last October, I was a judge at the Prix Bayeux for War Reporters in France, one of the most prestigious prizes in journalism. The Gazan reporters on all media fronts – long- and short-format documentaries, print and radio – swept the boards by winning nearly all the prizes. That is not an easy feat in an extremely competitive market.
Ginsberg says this is the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992, during the Bosnian War.
In those days, we considered Bosnia to be the most dangerous place on Earth. Today, that terrible sobriquet goes to Gaza, where journalists struggle to describe the displacement of 90 per cent of the population and the destruction of 80 per cent of the buildings.
These journalists are being starved, bombed and deprived of medical and suffering numerous threats such as cyber attacks, censorship and killing of family members even as they try to work.
I wish that everyone could take a moment and look up the names of each and every one of them, look at their photos, and remember their short lives as a tribute to them. As well as the brave contribution they have made to keeping the narrative truthful in one of the most terrible wars against civilians in recent history.
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Foah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: RB Dixie Honor, Antonio Fresu, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THREE
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
