34 journalists killed in Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza

By Mucahit Aydemir

JERUSALEM (AA) - A total of 34 journalists were killed in the intensive bombardments and attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip by Israel since Oct. 7.

In a statement, the Health Ministry in Gaza released the names of the journalists killed in the enclave, which has been under heavy attacks by Israel for 23 days.

34 Palestinian journalists, including three women, have lost their lives in the attacks, and many journalists have also lost their family members in Israeli attacks, according to the statement.

In an Israeli attack on a house in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp on Oct. 25, Al Jazeera's correspondent Wael al-Dahduh lost family members, including his wife, son, and daughter.

In the clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border, a Lebanese journalist also lost his life due to Israeli fire.

Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Oct. 7 when Hamas carried out a surprise cross-border attack. The army's spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, on Saturday announced "expanding its operations," moving to the "next phase of our war against Hamas."

Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point last weekend.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul