Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) has conducted a survey to document the losses, humanitarian conditions, and multitude of challenges faced by Palestinian journalists during the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. This survey includes responses from 383 journalists who are either in Gaza or were there at some point during the war. While some have since evacuated the Gaza Strip, the majority remain in Gaza, working amid increasingly dire circumstances.
The survey, distributed via email and text messages between October 25 and November 7, 2024, collected both quantitative and qualitative data. It offers insights into the personal losses, working conditions, and hardships faced by journalists in Gaza. The following sections present the survey results, with charts and visualizations for a clearer understanding of the profound impact of the ongoing war on their lives and their ability to continue reporting.
The vast majority —89%— were inside Gaza
62% of the journalists were 34 years or younger
Most journalists —66%— were freelancers
Seven journalists lost one or more of their children
84 of journalists —22%— lost at least one family members
Surveyed journalists reported losing at least 576 family members
92% said they lost equipment essential for reporting
91% said they had no protective gear (flak jacket & helmet)
49% said they lost their job during the war
21% said they were injured in the war
88% said their home had been destroyed
96% were displaced from their homes
Thirteen journalists reported being detained
About a third of the journalists were displaced eight times or more
The majority of journalists in Gaza—60%— live in tents
84 journalists who responded to the survey—22%—lost family members.
Did you lose a family member?
21% of respondents reported injuries, and nearly half —49%— of those injured were hurt while in their residences, whether at home, in a camp, or in a tent.
A large majority—92% or 349 journalists—reported having no protective equipment, such as flak jackets and helmets.
33% said 'no'
21% of journalists said 'yes'
45% said it provides 'somewhat' of a protection.
A quarter of journalists who said they didn’t believe protective equipment helped protect them were injured while wearing it.
Among the journalists surveyed, 49% lost their jobs during the war, 31% retained their jobs and 20% found new positions after losing their initial jobs.
Out of the
383
journalists who responded to the survey,
13
reported being
detained, including
five
who were detained while being displaced.
The homes of 88% of journalists who responded to the survey were destroyed, with 71% of the homes totally destroyed.
An overwhelming 96% of journalists who responded to the survey—both inside and outside Gaza—were displaced from their homes.
About a third of them were displaced eight times or more.
The majority of journalists in Gaza—60%— live in tents
To understand the extent of losses and challenges faced by journalists in Gaza, we combined responses to seven key questions asked in both our June and October/November surveys. After removing duplicate responses, we have a total of 512 unique respondents. This combined data set provides a clearer picture of the widespread impact on Gaza’s journalists, reflecting the cumulative toll of the war.