At least 29 journalists have died as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported on Friday.

Following a massive attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas militants on October 7, Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas group went to war for almost three weeks.”This deadly toll is coupled with harassment, detentions and other reporting obstructions in areas that include the West Bank and Israel.”

“The public’s ability to know and understand what is happening in this conflict is severely compromised, with likely ramifications across the world,” CPJ said, as the ability of journalists to carry out their work became progressively more restricted.

Reports of a communications outage in Gaza “highly alarmed” it. “As news bureaus lose contact with their crews and reporters in Gaza, who are independently bearing witness to provide information about developments and the human toll of this war, the world is losing a window into the reality of all sides engaged in this conflict.”

According to CPJ, willfully attacking journalists or media equipment could be considered a war crime since journalists are civilians who need to be protected.

“At this dark hour, we stand with journalists, with those truth seekers whose daily work keeps us informed with facts that shed light on the human condition and help to hold power to account.”

During the October 7 raid, Hamas militants killed over 1,400 people and abducted at least 229 more. Israel’s response in Gaza has resulted in fatalities.