Thirty-one journalists and media staff were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a newspaper complex in Sana'a, Yemen, last week, marking the deadliest attack on journalists since the 2009 Maguindanao massacre in the Philippines, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The strike on 10 September targeted a building housing three Houthi-connected media outlets. At the time, staff of the Yemeni army's press arm were finishing the weekly print edition, increasing the number of journalists present. At least 35 people died, including a child accompanying a journalist, and 131 were wounded, per the Houthi health ministry.
All victims worked for the Houthi-affiliated 26 September newspaper or Yemen newspaper. The CPJ called it a 'brutal and unjustified attack' on innocent media workers. Under international law, journalists affiliated with armed groups remain civilians unless directly participating in hostilities.
The Israeli military said it struck 'military targets' including the Houthi public relations department, which it accused of distributing 'psychological terror'. The strikes were in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Israel, which the Houthis claim are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The CPJ noted a pattern of Israel killing media workers across the Middle East and justifying it by portraying journalists as combatants. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has killed 247 journalists in Gaza, according to the UN. Similar strikes in Lebanon have killed journalists affiliated with pro-Hezbollah channels.
The CPJ's regional programme director, Sara Qudah, stated: 'Since 7 October 2023, Israel has emerged as a regional killer of journalists… This latest killing spree is not only a grave violation of international law, but also a terrifying warning to journalists across the region: no place is safe.'
