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• UCAS Personal Statements Are Changing in 2025

Last Updated: 16th January 2023

Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

Table of Contents

It was announced by UCAS in January of 2023 that traditional Personal Statements will be removed from the university application process in the UK. 

Since 1993, UCAS has required university applicants in the UK to submit a 4,000-character Personal Statement during the application process, which would then be accessed by university admissions teams to assist in the shortlisting process. 

However, it has been confirmed by UCAS that this process will be changing as soon as 2025. Here, we dissect the announcement, discuss what we currently know about this change and explain how this could affect your university application. Let’s begin:  

In short, this is what you need to know:

• UCAS Personal Statements are being replaced by a three-question survey that gives applicants the chance to explain various aspects of their application.
• This change will be implemented for the 2025 admissions cycle for 2026 Entry in the UK.
• This will affect all applicants, both home and international, looking to attend any UK university in 2026 and beyond.
• Students will need to learn how to take on these new questions rather than traditional Personal Statement writing.
• Teachers will need to be prepared to do research on this new system and provide support for students in order to maximise their chances of success.
• We at UniAdmissions are keeping a very close eye on the situation and will update this guide as new information surfaces. We will also ensure that our support systems are up-to-date and effective at helping students through these changes.

What are Personal Statements Being Replaced with?

With the announcement that the current system for UCAS Personal Statements will be getting replaced, it is only natural to be asking what will be replacing it. Thankfully, we have already been given some idea of what to expect. 

Unlike the other major shake-up to the 2024 admission process, the removal of various admissions tests including the BMAT , the official announcement has provided us with an explanation of what UCAS is seeking to implement instead of traditional Personal Statements. 

Put simply, the current format of providing a 4,000-character piece of writing will be replaced with a new “scaffolded structure” of three specific questions which applicants must answer. These questions will still allow you to write your answers out, but you will be answering set questions instead of having to plan and structure a full statement from scratch. 

For each question, applicants will need to write a minimum of 350 characters. The overall character limit for the Personal Statement across the three questions (including spaces) will be 4,000 – this is the same as the current limit. 

Responses will need to be submitted via the online UCAS system, which will now feature three text boxes instead of one (one for each question). Each box will include an exact character counter and tips for each question. 

The three questions you’ll have to answer are as follows: 

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?
• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

These questions cover the important topics that would typically be included in a standard Personal Statement, so the content of your writing should mostly stay the same. The key difference is that your writing will no longer need to flow as a singular piece of work, meaning introductions and conclusions will be de-emphasised. 

In 2023, UCAS initially announced a selection of six questions that were being considered for a new Personal Statement system. These were as follows:

• Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
• Preparedness for Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses?
• Preparation through other experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
• Extenuating circumstances – Is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know about, to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context?
• Preparedness for study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your courses choices match that?

UCAS stated that these were subject to change based on feedback from schools and students, with the new three-question system being the result of this work (removing the last three questions in the process). 

Of the questions originally planned for the Personal Statement, one aspect that will no longer be covered is Extenuating Circumstances. This was previously going to be a section that allows applicants to discuss any issues that may have impacted their application negatively (illness, family circumstances, etc).

UCAS states that this section was removed from the Personal Statement due to its inclusion as one of the three questions in the Academic Reference (also a part of the UCAS process). If you have anything that you want to discuss in this section, you will need to speak with your referee to explain what you would like to include in the reference. 

At UniAdmissions, we ensure all of our students receive the most up-to-date support.

At UniAdmissions, we’re working tirelessly to ensure that our tutors, curriculum and resources are ready to get our students through these changes. You can join them today and ensure you get the support you need to make it through the 2024 admissions cycle . 

Discover our Oxbridge Premium Programmes below and find out how you can enrol and triple your chances of success .

When Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Changed?

The most recent announcement from UCAS regarding Personal Statements confirms that this new system will be implemented in August of 2025, meaning applicants for 2026 Entry will be the first to face the changes. Applicants in 2024 for 2025 Entry will have to complete the single, free-form document like previous years, 

It’s worth mentioning that these plans have been in place for a fair amount of time, with discussions of reforming the application process starting in April 2021. However, this change has finally received a confirmed date for implementation after previously being planned for 2023. 

Why Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Changed?

The announcement of these reforms was initially made on January 12th 2023 via a blog post on the official HEPI website. This post highlights the amendments being made to the Personal Statement process and the research that was conducted to influence this change.  

Interestingly, the data quoted in this post states that the majority of applicants surveyed were happy with the current Personal Statement process, with 72% feeling positive about it. However, the same survey indicated that 83% of applicants found the process stressful and 79% felt unable to complete theirs without support. This is the data that most likely influenced the changes. 

The post’s writer, Kim Eccleston, states that they are aiming to provide better support for both applicants and universities, creating “a more supportive framework” that allows applicants to write about what the universities need to know in a less restrictive way. It is also stated in a more detailed outline of the announcement that both students and teachers preferred the use of specific questions instead of free-form writing. 

However, a previous post released in November 2022 provides even more insight into the reasoning behind this decision. Based on data featured in HEPI Debate Paper 31 , various industry professionals had commented on the challenges facing applicants of certain background when it comes to the current style of Personal Statement. 

Within the quotes featured here, the traditional UCAS Personal Statement was described as “ambiguous” , “unfair” and “barometers of middle-class privilege” . These comments may potentially be in reference to the current importance of work experience, which can be difficult to obtain without connections in certain industries, as well as additional experiences which may not be available to all applicants.  

Therefore, this new system should presumably reduce the barriers for disadvantaged applicants by shifting focus to each individual’s own interest and abilities within their chosen subjects. 

Other Changes being Made by UCAS

Personal Statements are only one of five key areas being altered by UCAS, as highlighted in the blog post. This is certainly the most significant action taking place, but other changes that were previously made to the application process include: 

• Academic references are being reformed, moving from a free-text approach to a set of three questions, similar to the Personal Statement reforms.
• The 'Entry Grade Report' will be created, which allows applicants to see grade profiles that have been accepted for courses over a five year period.
• A 'Course Recommendation Tool' is being created to provide applicants with personalised suggestions for courses based on their current grades and preferences.
• A 'Fair Access Programme' is being created to encourage widening access and participation.

Overall, it seems these changes all have the same intent; to level the playing field and make university applications more achievable for everyone. 

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How will this affect my university application?

As previously stated, if you are applying to university this year for 2025 Entry (and deferred Entry for 2026), you will not be affected by these reforms and will need to submit a traditional Personal Statement to UCAS like previous years. 

For applicants applying for 2026 Entry and beyond, your application will follow this new process, meaning you won’t have to submit a full Personal Statement but will instead need to answer a series of questions relating to your application and abilities for your chosen course. 

When hearing that the whole process will be changing, this typically instils a feeling of dread as you’ll be treading new ground that no one else has experienced before. However, it’s important to understand that UCAS states these changes are being made for the benefit of both the applicants and the universities. 

As we’ve already discussed, a key part of the reason this change is being implemented is that a high percentage of applicants found writing a traditional Personal Statement stressful, which is counterintuitive to what UCAS is trying to achieve. By providing applicants with a strong framework, in the form of specific questions, this new process should allow more applicants to provide better quality statements for universities. 

This change is also set to be particularly beneficial to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as the process will allow them to better express their ability regardless of any areas that may be lacking due to factors out of their control. Essentially, the new process should allow more people to stand a better chance of making a good impression despite limitations. 

How Can I Start Preparing?

If you’re starting your preparations early, the main barrier you’ll face at this stage of preparation is not knowing what the questions will be, as they have yet to be announced. There are no resources available currently that cover this system, so you’re going to have to be independent with your preparation here.

Since we have a rough outline of what the questions to focus on, you should still be able to practice your responses. Although they won’t be as relevant any more, it would still be helpful to check out Personal Statement guides and examples as these can help you pin down the language and writing style you use. 

With all this information now available to us, you should be able to get a sense of what to do for your application in the coming years. The initial introduction of this system in 2025 will act as a test of its effectiveness, so elements could be changed in the years following. However, the important thing is that you understand how things are changing from the current system and how you can make the most of the new system. 

If you are applying for university in 2024 for 2025 Entry, you will need to make sure you’re ready to write your Personal Statement. Thankfully, UniAdmissions have plenty of resources to help you through it, including our Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide and our collection of successful Oxbridge Personal Statements . 

If you’re looking for more in-depth support that covers the whole application process for Medicine, Law and Oxbridge courses, them find out how you can enrol in one of our Premium Programmes .  

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UCAS Personal Statement Changes 2025

The UCAS personal statement has been a stumbling block for university applicants for decades. However, UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) is shortly to introduce an entirely new process which will instead adopt a structure incorporating six questions applicants will have to answer instead.

Why is UCAS changing the personal statement?

University entrants are changing. Applicants who wouldn’t have considered university education as being a possibility for them even a decade ago are now graduating with top degrees.

However, the personal statement – with a bias towards those who are lucky enough to have a rich social and extracurricular experience to back up their academic prowess – wasn’t adequately reflecting (or indeed supporting) the students who might have needs or circumstances that precluded wider experiences. Current findings from UCAS show that 79% of students found the personal statement “too difficult” to write without additional and appropriate support. That’s almost 4/5 of applicants, so unquestionably shows the need for change. 83% of students also find it stressful, so by restructuring the statement into a series of sections, UCAS aim to clarify what supporting information is truly impactful.

This change is designed to make it easier for applicants to express themselves and boost their confidence that they have included all necessary details.

These findings don't mean, however, that students don’t see and acknowledge the value of the personal statement. The revamped, structured statement should allow all university applicants to show their worth on an equal basis.

To find out more, read the following report on the Future of Undergraduate Admissions from UCAS.

Is the personal statement being removed completely?

No, the personal statement is not being eliminated but rather reformed. It remains a crucial tool for students to use their own voice, advocate for their chosen course, and showcase their potential beyond academic achievements.

By framing the statement with a series of free-text questions,  UCAS aims to create a more supportive framework that guides students through their responses, which takes out much of the guesswork.

What are the new themes and why have they been chosen?

Through consultations with providers and advisers, three key themes have been identified to be included in the reformed personal statement. These themes help admissions teams assess an applicant's suitability for a course and compare them to other candidates:

1.    Motivation for Course: Why do you want to study these courses?

This question helps students reflect on their career ambitions or passion for the subject. It ensures they choose courses that align with their goals, whether it's accreditation, a pathway to a profession, or a deep dive into a fascinating subject. Admissions teams look for evidence that students understand the unique aspects of the course they are applying for.

2.    Preparedness for Course: How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses?

Here, students can highlight what they've gained from formal education, such as an A-level curriculum that sparked further interest in a subject. This section should demonstrate the student's understanding of what will help them succeed in their chosen course.

3.    Preparation Through Other Experiences: What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful?

This theme allows students to discuss extracurricular activities, work experience, or other personal projects. The key is to reflect on what they learned from these experiences, how they developed relevant skills, and why these activities will help them succeed in their course.

What happened to the other themes?

After consultation, it was clear that two of the proposed themes might lead to generic answers due to varying teaching and assessment styles across universities. These themes have been withdrawn:

• Preparedness for Study: What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles: Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your course choices match that?

Additionally, the extenuating circumstances theme has been recognized as valuable but better suited in its own section. This allows students to contextualize their application without compromising the space needed to articulate their skills and suitability for the courses.

How will UCAS decide on the final set of questions?

The user experience team at UCAS will carefully word the questions to ensure clarity for all students. They will then ask for feedback from stakeholders through their email bulletins to providers, teachers, and advisers, encouraging input to help shape the final questions.

We will continue to update this page as UCAS releases more information about changes to the personal statement.

When will the changes to the personal statement take effect?

If you’re applying next year for 2026 entry, the bad news is that you will still have to write a personal statement (although, of course, there’s nothing to stop you using the prototype questions to help you structure this and make the process easier!).

These changes will come into effect for students looking to enter a programme of higher education from 2026 onwards.

What will help you, however, if you’re planning to go to university in 2024, is the personalised tool .

This will allow you to see the kind of profiles that have been accepted onto courses similar to those you are interested in over the past five years. So really don’t despair if you’re in the “last of the personal statements” intake!

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The Ucas personal statement is changing in 2025

A question-based personal statement will be required as part of university applications from autumn 2025 onwards

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If you are currently working on your university application personal statement, you'll find plenty of help and support on The Uni Guide and over on The Student Room. The changes described above will only be relevant for people who are applying to start university in 2026 or later. If you are applying to start university before then, you will still need to complete the current personal statement.

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News | Education

UCAS ditching personal statement for university entry

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service ( Ucas ) will no longer require students to write a personal statement when applying for university .

The change comes amid claims that the personal statements favour middle-class students who may have better access to “high-quality advice and guidance”, according to Ucas.

The 4,000-character essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course they are applying for.

Ucas announced in February 2022 that it was considering changes to university applications.

At the time, Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said “I have always felt that personal statements in their current form favour the most advantaged students.

“So I’m pleased that Ucas have confirmed that reform of the personal statement is in their plans so that personal statements work to the benefit of all students.”

Ucas consulted with 1,200 students, 170 teachers, and more than 100 universities and colleges before making the reforms, as reported by The Times.

According to Ucas , although 72 per cent of respondents surveyed felt positive about the personal statement, 79 per cent agreed that writing the statement is difficult to complete without support, and 83 per cent said they found the process of writing a personal statement stressful.

The structured questions aim to  “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”.

Students will be asked questions about their motivations for studying courses, what they have done to prepare, and any extenuating circumstances.

Kim Eccleston, head of strategy and reform at Ucas, said in a Higher Education Policy Institute blog post: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

The changes to the admission process will be introduced no earlier than 2024 for students applying to begin university in 2025.

And in the future, Ucas said that it would consider moving away from written text to multimedia submissions.

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Ucas to scrap personal statements for student applicants

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Admissions body pitches reforms to make admissions process fairer

Students will no longer have to write an essay-style personal statement in their Ucas applications, after the admissions body announced an overhaul to the process.

Ucas said in a report published 12 January, Future of Undergraduate Admissions, that students would answer a series of questions about their reasons for choosing a course instead of writing a personal statement.

There have been concerns that the personal statements disadvantage students who do not have access to good guidance and support when writing the essays, which some feel could “widen the gap” between applicants.

The change comes after scrutiny from the Department for Education on the admissions process. The DfE carried out a consultation on whether to switch to a system of post-qualification admissions in 2021, although it ultimately decided not to continue with the changes.

Writing in a Higher Education Policy Institute blog on 12 January, Ucas head of strategy and reform Kim Eccleston said that “most students are in favour of personal statements” as it gives them the chance to “demonstrate achievements beyond their grades”.

But more than 80 per cent said they found the process of writing the statement stressful, and 79 per cent said the statement is difficult to complete with no support.

Eccleston said the replacement questions will prompt students to write about six areas, including their motivation and preparation for the course and for studying at a higher level, how other experiences have helped to prepare them for university, any extenuating circumstances and their preferred learning style.

“We believe this will create a more supportive framework which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making,” she said.

Once the questions have been finalised, they will replace the personal statement from 2024-25.

The report also revealed that Ucas will introduce reports showing students the range of grades that have been accepted for their chosen course in the past, and it will replace the free text option for referees to comment on students with a series of questions.

It will try to offer students more personalised guidance on what their post-secondary options are, and will launch an Outreach Connection Service designed to help universities and employers in their efforts to improve access and participation.

Ucas consulted with 1,200 students, more than 170 teachers and advisers, 100 universities and colleges and government representatives when creating the report.

In her blog post, Eccleston stressed that “reform is an evolving process”, and she said that Ucas would “keep engaging with the sector to help us shape the delivery of these reforms”—particularly the changes to the personal statement.

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Changes to the UCAS Personal Statement in 2024

This month has brought the news that, as of 2024, UCAS is no longer going to require applicants to write a personal statement when applying for university.

***Please note this information is outdated; for more information please see our latest blog post here. ***

For years, the ucas personal statement has been a thorn in the side of applicants to uk universities everywhere - requiring students to spend the best part of several months reading, planning, and writing their magnum opus to impress their chosen universities. this month has brought the news that, as of 2024, ucas is no longer going to require applicants to write a personal statement when applying for university. in this blog, we’re going to take you through why this change is happening, how the personal statement’s going to be replaced, and how this is likely to affect you as an applicant..

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Why the change?

This change has been made in light of arguments by some that the existing personal statement system affords an advantage to more privileged students who have greater access to expert guidance and advice. with students from a greater variety of backgrounds attending university at a higher and higher rate every year, ucas have felt the need to reform the application process with the aim of widening access for all students, irrespective of their knowledge regarding the application process or whether they know someone who has made a successful application before. as reported by the times, ucas consulted with 1,200 students, 170 teachers, and over 100 universities and colleges before making these reforms, meaning that the new system is designed with not just universities but also applicants in mind, hopefully meaning that it suits the students applying as much as fitting the universities’ requirements., what is replacing the personal statement, as of 2024, rather than having an open response box in which to fill in their own, self-constructed personal statement of 4,000 characters, students will instead be asked to respond to a series of structured questions which focus on six key areas:, motivation for the course - why do you want to study these courses, preparedness for the course - how has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses, preparation through other experience - what else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful, extenuating circumstances - is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know about, to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context, preparedness for study - what have you done to prepare yourself for student life, preferred learning styles - which learning and assessment style best suit you, and how do your course choices match that, what does this mean for my application, in real terms, this shouldn’t change your personal statement process too much - in essence, the new system effectively de-constructs your personal statement so that it’s clearer what you should reflect upon and how to structure your answers. most of these questions focus around topics that you’re likely to be answering in your personal statement anyway, so there’s no need to go and completely scrap everything you’ve been thinking of already, private consultation.

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UCAS Will Replace Personal Statements in 2026: What Students Need to Know

Big changes are coming to the UCAS application process . UCAS announced that they will be replacing personal statements with a series of structured questions starting in 2026. This new approach aims to reduce stress for university applicants while allowing them to share information about themselves.

NOTE : UCAS will not change the university application structure before the entry cycle 2027. This is officially confirmed. New changes will be announced sometime in May 2025 .

Why is UCAS Changing Personal Statements?

The personal statement has been one of the key criteria of the UCAS application for years. However, student and university feedback highlighted some issues with the current free-form format. Surveys found that 83% of students felt writing the personal statement was stressful and 79% said it was hard to complete without support .

Universities also noted that it can be difficult to compare personal statements, as content varies widely depending on the student. With no set guidelines, students receive different levels of help based on what resources are available.

The goal of the new structured questions is to focus responses and make the process more equitable across the board . Applicants will have clarity on what information universities want to know upfront.

What Will Replace Personal Statements?

Starting with the 2025 UCAS application entry, personal statements will be replaced by six key questions identified through research with universities:

• Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
• Preparedness for Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed in these courses?
• Preparation through Other Experiences – What else have you done to help prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
• Extenuating Circumstances – Is there anything the universities need to know to put your achievements into context?
• Preparedness for Study – What have you done to prepare for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles – Which styles suit you best and how do your course choices match that?

The goal is to capture the key information universities need while allowing applicants to share relevant details about themselves. UCAS continues to refine the focus areas based on feedback.

What This Means for Applicants

Replacing personal statements will affect students. For students applying in 2024 and beyond, the new questions will change how you present yourself to universities. 

The good news is that the process aims to be more straightforward with a clear structure to follow. However, it still requires thought and effort to make your responses stand out.

With less space for elaborate anecdotes, choose details carefully to showcase your skills, experience and fit for the program. Follow prompts closely and focus on exactly how you meet the criteria.

The emphasis will likely shift from creative writing skills to concise, persuasive responses showcasing your abilities. Take time to reflect on experiences that highlight your motivation and preparedness.

What Happens Next?

UCAS emphasizes this change will be a process based on continuous feedback. They aim to introduce the new questions somewhere in 2024 to allow students and advisors time to adjust.

Before launch, UCAS is gathering input on areas like:

• Are there any missing question topics?
• How much preparation time would your role need?
• Perspectives on allowing different statements per university choice.

There is still time to share thoughts and help shape this update. UCAS also hints at more innovations in future cycles, such as multi-media submissions.

Postgraduate Personal Statements Remain Unchanged

The upcoming changes to the personal statement will only apply to undergraduate UCAS applications . For students applying to postgraduate, PhD and master’s programmes , personal statements will remain a required component of the application process. 

These programmes will continue to use free-form personal statements, allowing applicants ample space to detail their motivations, relevant skills and experiences. Universities utilise personal statements to assess candidates’ fit and potential for rigorous further study required at the postgraduate level. 

While undergraduate admissions are evolving, postgraduate applicants can expect the current personal statement format to persist across UK universities.

Learn more:

• How to Write a Personal Statement for a Masters Degree
• How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD

Final Thoughts: Personal Statement Change

The UCAS personal statement as we know it will soon be a thing of the past. While it marks a major change, the update aims to streamline the process for all involved. Students can focus on putting their best foot forward in a more structured format. With some preparation, applicants will still be able to share their unique stories.

FAQ: UCAS Replacing Personal Statements

Why is ucas replacing personal statements.

UCAS decided to replace free-form personal statements after feedback showed the current format causes stress for applicants. Universities also noted personal statements can be difficult to compare. The new structured questions aim to make the process more straightforward and equitable.

When will the new questions be implemented?

UCAS plans to introduce the structured questions no earlier than 2024, for use in the 2025 application cycle. This timeline allows students, advisors, and universities time to adjust to the new format.

What will the new questions focus on?

Based on research with universities, UCAS identified six key topics: motivation and preparedness for the course, relevant experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning styles. Applicants will need to concisely answer prompts on each theme.

How many questions will there be?

UCAS is still finalising the format, but the initial framework suggests six main questions covering the key themes. Each theme may have multiple sub-questions to guide responses.

Will the word count stay the same?

We don’t know yet. Details are still in progress, but it’s likely the total word count will be similar to the current 4,000-character limit for personal statements. Word counts may vary per question.

How should students prepare for the new format?

Students should reflect on key experiences that showcase their skills, motivation and readiness for university study. Focus responses on providing relevant details the prompts ask for.

Will universities have access to past personal statements?

UCAS has not indicated if universities will still have access to personal statements submitted before 2024 during the transition period.

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• Feb 2, 2023

UCAS to Scrap Personal Statements

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has announced plans to remove a central part of the application process – the personal statement – and replace it with a series of questions for prospective students. According to UCAS, this change is the start of a broader series of reforms.

The Future of Undergraduate Admissions report, released by UCAS on Thursday 12 January, has revealed changes to the application process after 83% of applicants surveyed reported that the process of writing their personal statement – a free text opportunity for students to demonstrate their skill and passion for the courses they are applying to – was stress inducing.

Furthermore, 79% of those surveyed agreed that the statement was difficult to complete without support, leading some commentators to view the process as a “mechanism to widen the gap”.

As a replacement for the personal statement, UCAS have identified six key areas that admissions departments are interested in: motivation for course, preparedness for course, preparation through other experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning styles. These areas will be formulated into targeted questions for students to answer, rather than the current, more generalised approach.

UCAS have confirmed that these areas will continue to be refined with the help of both applicants and education providers.

According to UCAS, both students and providers (both universities and colleges across the UK), have “identified a preference for structured questions that bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support. This approach also supports comparability for providers.

Students who have completed the UCAS process in the past have reflected on how these changes would have been beneficial to their own university application experience.

“The personal statement was definitely the most troubling part of the UCAS process,” Luke, a second-year student, told The Saint.

“If [UCAS] had made it more structured, I would have had a lot less stress during the end of schooling”.

International students here at the University of St Andrews are also welcoming the change. “I found the personal statement difficult because it was nothing like what I had to do for applications in my own country,” Emily, a first-year international student, said.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of tutors I found who had done UCAS before. We had regular meetings just to make sure my statement would be competitive. It added a lot of stress”.

The personal statement section is only the start for changes in the UCAS process; references and grade reporting are also being altered based on feedback provided by those involved.

UCAS have announced changes to the academic referee portion of the application, similar to changes being made within the personal statement section. Instead of a free text approach where referees are given the opportunity to promote their students’ prospects, referees are given “three structured questions” to answer, so that providers are more able to find information required for selections.

The three questions relate to the school or college of the applicant, extenuating circumstances that may affect the applicant’s performance, and a final section to provide any information that the referee “thinks that universities/colleges should be made aware of”.

‘Entry Grade Reports’ are also being built into the UCAS online platform. The feature will make it easier for students to locate courses where entry would be achievable based on their secondary school grades. According to the Future of Undergraduate Admissions Report, “these reports will give visibility of the range of grade profiles that have been accepted for entry to courses over a five-year period”.

UCAS are welcoming ongoing input from both students and providers on the proposed changes. Surveys and opportunities for input are available on the UCAS website.

The University of St Andrews declined to comment on the changes to the application process.

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UCAS removes personal statement for 2024 admissions

Thinking of going to a UK university? Read on to learn about the new changes UCAS has made to the university admissions process.

by Rachel Timmins · 3 minutes

UCAS has stated its plans to eliminate the 4000-character personal statement that all students have - up to now - been required to submit, in order to overhaul the university and college admissions procedures. Instead, university applicants will respond to a set of brief questions from the 2024 admissions cycle, according to The Evening Standard.

In February 2022, UCAS revealed that it was exploring changes to university admissions.UCAS engaged with 1,200 students, 170 instructors, and more than 100 institutions and colleges before implementing the modifications, reports from  The Times claim.  According to UCAS , while 72% of respondents questioned were enthusiastic about the personal statement, 79% agreed that writing the statement without assistance is tough, and 83% stated the process was stressful.

At the time, Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said “I have always felt that personal statements in their current form favour the most advantaged students.

“So I’m pleased that UCAS have confirmed that reform of the personal statement is in their plans so that personal statements work to the benefit of all students.”

The structured questions aim to “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”. Kim Eccleston, Head of Strategy and Reform at UCAS, added: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

Cambridge Assessment also indicated earlier this year that they will make modifications to their admissions exam since they were operationally unsustainable and in order to "provide them cheaply to students and higher education institutions." 

In summary, please find below the UCAS adjustments we should expect for the 2024/25 admissions cycle:

Students will no longer have to write a 4,000-character personal statement.

Instead students will be asked different higher education subject specific questions.

Other entry requirements such as BMAT, NSAA, ENGAA and TMUA examinations will also be phased out.

Changes to the admissions procedure will be implemented no earlier than 2024 for students starting university in 2025. In the future, UCAS  stated that  it would consider shifting away from textual material and toward multimedia contributions.

Here at Melio Education , our mission is to help international students to make informed and competitive applications to UK universities. We want to see students reach their full potential, so from our perspective any move that evens out the playing field and helps the most talented students get into their dream university is positive. 

Emily Bisset , Head of Product and Operations at Melio Education says: ‘We have always enjoyed working with students on their personal statements, and we appreciated the opportunity for students to display their creative flair. However a free-form piece of writing does disadvantage non-native speakers of English (who make up many of the students we work with), and therefore we are pleased to see this move to a fairer process. We are interested to see in due course what the exact questions will be and how they will be framed. We will continue to support our students in every way that we can to get into the universities where they most want to study.’

Guidance counsellors - wondering what the changes will mean for your students?

Please join our upcoming webinar in February where we will be discussing all things Oxbridge applications, and will include a discussion around these planned changes.

Students - thinking ahead?

If starting to think about university or simply looking for some guidance or preparation on how to get there, we’re here to help! At Melio, we map out the key stages of this journey for you - from what course to pick to submitting your UCAS application, so that every part of the  process feels stress free! Interested in learning more? Book a call with one of our admissions advisors to find out more. 

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Ucas to replace personal statement with series of questions

Admissions service also making changes to teacher references, and plans to release details of grade profiles that were accepted onto courses.

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The Ucas personal statement is to be replaced by a series of questions following concerns that it was too stressful for UK students.

The admissions service said it believes the change to the 4,000 character essay – which had previously been  criticised for contributing to inequalities in higher education access  – will create “a more supportive framework”.

Advocates of reform said the change will help “level the playing field” in university admissions.

The  Future of Undergraduate Admissions report  by Ucas also announced that academic references would become structured questions, and that students will be able to see a range of accepted entry grades for different courses to improve transparency.

A recent Ucas survey found that 83 per cent of students reported the process of writing a personal statement stressful, with 79 per cent saying it is difficult to complete without support.

Based on this feedback, Kim Eccleston, head of strategy and reform at Ucas, says the current format will be reframed into a series of questions focusing on six key areas: motivation for the course, preparedness for the course, preparation through other experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning style.

“We believe this will create a more supportive framework which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making”, she writes in a  blog published by the Higher Education Policy Institute .

The questions are set to be introduced in 2024, for students entering higher education in 2025, while Ucas said it paved the way for further enhancements, such as moving to multimedia submissions.

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter , said the move to structured questions was “hugely positive”.

“No one should underestimate how important this reform will be in helping to level the playing field in university admissions,” he added.

“I’ve been calling for reform as statements currently add further advantage for middle class applicants who are often given help in filling in their submissions.”

Providers had told Ucas that the subjective nature of the academic reference section – typically filled out by an applicant’s form tutor or careers adviser – made it challenging to be used to compare applicants against each other.

As a result, it will be replaced with three structured questions – a mandatory general statement about the referee’s school, plus optional information sections on extenuating circumstances affecting the applicant’s performance.

Beginning with the 2024 entry cycle, Professor Elliot Major said it will enable more “objective and useful comments from teachers”.

“As we enter an era of increasing competition for the most selective university degree courses, we need more structured and transparent university admissions that are fair and fit for purpose for all,” he added.

In addition, entry grade reports will be available through the Ucas website, which will give a range of grade profiles that have been accepted onto courses over a five-year period.

It said that this personalised tool, which will launch this year, will prompt applicants to dig deeper into entry requirements and re-evaluate options that may have been considered out of reach.

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UCAS set to replace personal statements from 2024

13th January 2023

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The university application landscape seems set for reform according to reports this morning. UCAS wants to replace a unified personal statement with a series of six questions. Admissions service are also making changes to teacher references, and plans to release details of grade profiles that were accepted onto specific courses. The changes may arrive for the cohort applying in the autumn of 2024.

This might be worth a read:

Five steps UCAS is taking to reform the undergraduate admissions process

The newly published UCAS report is available here

Initial reaction from Geoff Barton here

‘Breaking down the personal statement into specific questions feels to be a step towards a simplified, fairer application process,’ says @RealGeoffBarton of @ucas_online announcement https://t.co/kwseX9NSZQ — Tes (@tes) January 12, 2023

No doubt a huge amount will be said and written as the consultation process gathers momentum. The six question approach appears rather prescriptive and there will be plenty of discussion I feel about the last question on preferred learning styles!

And in a month when ChatGPT and other emerging AI tools have dominated the education headlines, what price that these AI bots will be able to generate convincing written responses in seconds?

• Higher education

Geoff Riley

Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for over thirty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD conferences in the UK and overseas.

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UCAS reforms to the personal statement: One step forward, more to go? – HEPI’s WEEKEND READING

• 14 January 2023
• By Tom Fryer, Steve Westlake and Professor Steven Jones

This blog has been kindly written for HEPI by Tom Fryer, Steve Westlake and Professor Steven Jones. 

On 12 January, UCAS released  Future of Undergraduate Admissions , a report that contained details of  five upcoming reforms . 

In the report, UCAS proposes to reform the free-text personal statement into a series of questions. This is welcome. As we noted in our recent  HEPI Debate Paper  on UCAS personal statements, an essay without a question is always going to breed uncertainty.

So the change does represent progress towards a fairer admissions system. However, the number of steps we take towards this fairer system will depend on how the questions are designed. 

The UCAS report makes an initial proposal of six questions across the following topics: 

• Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses? 
• Preparedness for Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses? 
• Preparation through other experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful? 
• Extenuating circumstances – Is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know about, to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context? 
• Preparedness for study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your courses choices match that?

Our first point concerns  inequality . To create admissions processes that address inequalities we should use questions that place explicit limits on the number of examples that can be used. If we leave questions open-ended, this risks creating a structure that allows some applicants to gain an advantage over their peers, a key problem with the original format. Also, where possible, questions should stress the acceptability of drawing upon activities, such as caring or part-time work, that may not be deemed ‘high-prestige’. This could minimise the impact of inequalities in access to these ‘high-prestige’ activities. The relatively small number of courses that require formal work experience could gain this information through an optional question.  

Secondly, admissions processes should prioritise applicants’ interests and avoid imposing an  unnecessary burden . The current proposals contain several questions that appear similar, which does appear to impose an unnecessary workload on applicants and their advisers. We recommend combining the second (course preparedness), third (preparedness through other experiences) and fifth (study preparedness) questions into one, in order to protect applicants’ interests. 

Thirdly, other commentators have drawn attention to the association of ‘ learning styles ’ in question 6 with the widely debunked model that classifies people into four different learning modes: visual; aural; read/write; and kinesthetic. This does not seem to have been UCAS’s intention. Instead through informal conversations we understand the question intended to focus on applicants’ preferences for independent study versus contact time, or frequent short assessments versus substantive end-of-year approaches. Regardless, should applicants’ attitudes to learning and assessment influence admissions decisions? There could be a range of reasons why an applicant has chosen a certain provider, including geographical location for those with caring responsibilities, and many of these will trump concerns about learning styles. We recommend removing this question. 

Fourthly, while the report gives evidence that many  applicants see the personal statement as an opportunity to advocate for themselves , this alone does not justify the creation of a large number of questions (or indeed, nor does it justify the status quo). Unfortunately, a lack of transparency prevents applicants from understanding how their statement will be read ( if it is read at all ), and many will be unaware of the research on inequalities in this area. These caveats are important when considering how applicants’ views should feed into discussions about creating an admissions system that protects all applicants. 

Our final point relates to  validity . Admissions processes should use valid measures of applicants’ ability to complete their chosen courses. Although there is limited research in this area, we think there are opportunities to improve the proposed questions. 

To take one example, the first question asks ‘Why do you want to study these courses?’. We contend that an abstract question is unlikely to be the most valid way to assess applicants’ motivations. This question is likely to prompt similarly abstract or cliched answers, including in the form ‘Ever since a child…’. As an alternative, in our  HEPI paper , we proposed the following: 

Please describe one topic that is related to your course. Please discuss what you have learnt about this topic, through exploring this outside of the classroom. This could include books, articles, blogs, seminars, lectures, documentaries, or any other format. 

This question measures both whether an applicant demonstrates a basic level of motivation and whether they understand what is covered on the course. By asking for a concrete example of a topic they have explored, we believe this question is likely to be a more valid way to assess whether applicants meet a basic level of motivation and preparedness, and it is less likely to result in overly abstract or clichéd responses that reveal little about applicants. 

UCAS’s proposed reforms to personal statements recognise that fair admissions require greater transparency, a more supportive structure, and the prevention of some applicants being placed at a disadvantage. Moving to a series of questions represents one step forward. However, to achieve these goals, the questions must be designed to address inequality and remove unnecessary burdens in a transparent and valid manner.  

There is currently no published research on how personal statements are used in admissions decisions. That’s why we are launching a survey to gather some initial data, which you can access  here . 

We are particularly seeking input from people involved with the day-to-day work of undergraduate admissions. We would appreciate it if you could share this with any of your colleagues. We plan to use this data to feed into the public conversation about UCAS’s reforms. 

Alright I already wrote a reply, but it got deleted, so let me try again,

1, motivation for the course. For the MRes at Derby sept 23 to build on the great success which was my BA 2016 honours in Sociology major, with theatre studies minor. This degree took me five plus three or four years, given the multiple restarts I had to do because of my mental health fraility. Plus the drugs I was on acted as a hindrance as a help, I can now confirm. Anyway. 2, My BA Hons took nearly forever. Here’s a list of the modules I took; 4SL008 introduction to social inequalities prog code l300 grade c+ level 4 credit 15.0 result confirmed 1112 ; 4sl020 deviance and difference: exploring cultural identity l300 b- 4 15.0 1112 4sl028 introduction to social theory l300 c- 4 15.0 1112 4sl500 popular culture l300 52 (%) lvl 4 credit 20.0 result confirmed 1213 4sl503 researching the social world l300 82 4 20.0 1213 4wc001 Reflective Learning Skills l300 A- 4 20.0 1415 4TH501 Performance Analysis/PDP Y002 47 4 20.0 1415 4TH506 Modern Drama (With professor Sam Kasulé) Y002 41 4 20.0 1415 4TH507 Script Analysis for Production Y002 41 4 20.0 1415 (I actually got below 40% for my first essay, but was able to bring it back to a pass, after going all out/blitzing the second essay. I’d like to point out that I didn’t fail a single unit with no resits over the whole of my degree (even though there were some close calls) Total number of Credits achieved at level 4 160.0

5ED512 the sociology of education (this one was with a Canadian lecturer. I really liked him, from the education department.although the other girls in my class didn’t, well I think they had a problem with him, and collectively wrote negative feedback for the student satisfaction surveys at the post unit feedback, which resulted in the unit ceasing after this year. At least I think that’s what the lecturer told me, when I met him to discuss my grade, after it was marked. We did a poster (using PowerPoint), and had to present it to the class. I don’t know why the others didn’t like it? Maybe they got bad grades. Oh yes there was also an online element to it 40% I think, which needed two forum/message board posts per topic, with each topic lasting two weeks. Maybe the girls/ladies did badly at this element, and that was why they flamed him afterwards. Sorry mostly ladies, I seem to remember one or two other boys/gentlemen on the unit. Anyway… Y002 72 (get in) 5 20.0 1415 5ES506 Theatricality and Madness Y002 49 5 20.0 1314 another one with Sam Kasulé. I remember properly working my socks off for this one, providing a (what I thought) was a well argued and balanced counter-argumrent to the prevailing orthodoxy hegemony of the psychiatric model. With various plays as the evidence. The markers didn’t agree, as the grade shows. (40-49% is a D, and represents a satisfactory grade. I got a lot of these). Anyway.

5SL507 Capitalism, Culture and Class: Social Theory in Classical Modernity This one was with the classic Socialist nick cimini, who born in Italy, but raised in Scotland, spent two or three years here teaching us, then returned to Scotland because they offered all returnee Scottish lecturers an upfront payment of £20k which was an offer too good to refuse. He’s had a couple of kids since then. I got on well with Nick. He was a good guy. It was Derby’s loss. Y002 42 5 20.0 1314 I thought I did better at it 5SL508 ‘Race’ and Ethnicity in Modern Britain Y002 45 5 20.0 1415 this was one of my more difficult units. Not that the unit was particularly difficult, it was actually a presentation based grade, but the lecturer didn’t like me, and so gave me a ‘d’ either that , or I was just so worn out by the whole five plus years degree process, I was running out of steam. Hopefully these past four years I have had to rest and recuperate in my flat, will give my batteries a good boost and recharge, for another two masters, and maybe even a doctorate afterwards, depending on how I get on?) ; 5SL513 Sociological Research Methods1: Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques y002 62 5 20.0 1314. I think this was the unit I took with the dreaded SPSS computer statistics program based exam. Exams are always scary, and SPSS is a bit of a killer, but luckily the lecturer Raul gave us good notes, and extra revision cheat-sheet videos for each section, which I crammed, watched twice each, and ended up with a good final grade. Compare that to the other girls in my class, who I guess we’re less mathematically geared, and so didn’t do so well on the exams. Or maybe they got the same as me, which would be disappointing for an A student (70th percentile) God I’ve been yabbering on Let me just try and get these finished And the rest of the questions Anyway 5th503 research methodologies y002. 56. 5 20.0 1314 this one was with Dr Becky Barnes. She left to Sheffield in the end. This was another big blow for Derby imho So the total number of credits at level 5, and 6 for that matter, were 120.0 .. 6ES501 Shakespeare Today Y002 55 level 6 20.0 1516. This one was with Dr Mary McNalty another super-star. I should mention all of my lecturers were Drs, in case already mentioned. 6ES508 Riots and Rebels: Studies in Intercultural Drama Y002 57 lvl 6 20. Credit 1516 Another one with Sam. We watched Sarafina with Whoopie Goldberg, a seminal pre end of Apartheid south-african freedom musical film, from 1980 I think. This was a beautiful movie. Also watched woke soyinka I think, and some other African dramas. We also has to research these texts from some journals and other chosen readings, which were hard work, but this was a final year English unit, so you don’t expect it to be easy. I remember being estatic with the grade. I was able to hit my 60% 2.1 bang on the head, thanks to the generous awards given me by Sam and Mary for example. And not so much thanks to some of the others. But never mind. I am a mature student, 30 something when I did it, and on heavy depot injections at the time, so it wasn’t easy for me neither

6SL506 Religious and Ethnic Minorities Y002 47 6 20.0 1415 another third Honesty is the best policy. Sometimes it is the only policy. I find it helps to be honest. Plus the number of words I’ve written in my lifetime mean I’m quite comfortable with this means medium. 6DL508 Sociology of Health and Illness Y002 78. 6 20.0 6SL999 Sociology Independent Study Y002 68:6 40.0 1516 With my final two units supervised by yet another super-star Dr Phil Burton-Carteledge. Like Nick Dr Phil is a radical communist. Oops I said it. Damn, I hope word doesn’t get out! (Seriously he’s yet another great guy, who did well to put up with me. He is also the Bachelor’s Sociology program leader now.)

That’s it. And as a caveat I seriously think you should consider giving All of the lecturers I have named in this essay, pay rises. Just give them what they want. They put up with us, after-all. Plus they are providing for the next generation, of leaders, workers, thinkers speakers and parents. It’s called investing In our future.

Ok look I’m actually tired out from that essay.

So I’ll skip to the end; preferred learning style, I think I am more a visual/auditory learning style. Kind of I have quite a good memory, like photographic, but I do sometimes struggle with my emotions (diagnosis paranoid schizophrenia. Oh yes and I think they are trying to poison me. So that is why I am hoping to come off my tablets. Please don’t put compliance with my medicines as a requisite to me doing the masters, cos that isn’t fair. Is blackmail. I’ve got until September to get my head sorted, one way or the other

Thanks John

Sorry one last thing my degree was Overall Classification: SECOND CLASS HONOURS (1st Division) Date of Award 10 Jun 2016 Qualification Obtained: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology with Theatre Studies UNIVERSITY OF DERBY student code: 100052398 HESS Number: 0710571013537 Mode of study: Part Time Level of Study: Undergraduate Study Site: Derby Campus Location of Study/Partner Oganisation: University of Derby, Kedleston Road, DERBY , United Kingdom, DE22 1GB Student Name: JOHN ROBINSON Date of Issue: 22 Jul 2016 Date of Birth: 03 Mar 1981 Registration/Study Period: September 2011 to June 2016 Programme: Y002. Joint Honours Scheme Level of Study: Undergraduate

And I did not use any form of AI to complete this form. Thankyou

The discussion seems framed by the assumption that applicants need to show their best look and hope to be let in.

A modern education system surely wants each person to get the education and training they desire and need. Allowing that not all desires can be met there should be a focus on people getting a place – as long as they are capable of the course.

I dont see how those questions add much to that basic issue of can the person do the course. If they can – surely there needs to be a good reason to not offer them a place.

I do not know the UK reality but the Australian reality is that most courses do indeed want the interested student who has the necessary base capability.

I suggest that studies are much better designed and much more worth conducting by the subjects and by the researchers if they are informed by what is already known about the subject.

This statement is wrong, even for England: ‘There is currently no published research on how personal statements are used in admissions decisions.’

Here is a little of the published work on the use of personal statements in admissions decisions, but there are hundreds if not thousands more:

Albanese, M. A., Snow, M. H., Skochelak, S. E., Huggett, K. N., & Farrell, P. M. (2003). Assessing personal qualities in medical school admissions. Academic Medicine, 78(3), 313-321.

Murphy, S. C., Klieger, D. M., Borneman, M. J., & Kuncel, N. R. (2009). The predictive power of personal statements in admissions: A meta-analysis and cautionary tale. College and University, 84(4), 83.

Parry, J., Mathers, J., Stevens, A., Parsons, A., Lilford, R., Spurgeon, P., & Thomas, H. (2006). Admissions processes for five year medical courses at English schools. Bmj, 332(7548), 1005-1009.

Siu, E., & Reiter, H. I. (2009). Overview: what’s worked and what hasn’t as a guide towards predictive admissions tool development. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 14(5), 759-775.

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UCAS to replace personal statement essay with three questions to help disadvantaged people

UCAS surveyed potential applicants about to start their personal statement and found more than three-quarters prefer the new three-question format.

By Claire Gilbody Dickerson, news reporter

Thursday 18 July 2024 03:37, UK

Students applying for university through UCAS will be required to answer three questions under new plans to help support people from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Under the current system, prospective students have been filling out a free-response essay for their personal statement, which can be up to 4,000 characters long.

But amid concerns the task helps advantaged people who can get support, the essay will, as of September 2025, be replaced with three mandatory questions.

The questions are:

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?

• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?

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Students seeking to start university in 2026 will be the first to experience the reformed application form, which will allow for the same amount of writing as the essay.

The move comes as UCAS data suggests the gap in university application rates between the most and least advantaged students has widened in the last year.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Data shows the application rate from the most disadvantaged backgrounds has fallen slightly to 25.4% in England, while the application rate for the most advantaged has marginally increased to 60.7%.

UCAS surveyed potential applicants about to start their personal statement, and found more than three-quarters prefer the new three-question format.

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Previous UCAS research found 79% of students felt that the process of writing the personal statement was difficult to complete without support.

Jo Saxton, chief executive at UCAS, said: "The changes to the personal statement, along with our recent fee waiver for students in receipt of free school meals, are all part of UCAS's contribution to the sector-wide effort to ensure more people from disadvantaged backgrounds can benefit from the life-changing opportunity of higher education."

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Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war

August 8, 2024 3:00 AM EDT

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Editor’s note: The list below is CPJ’s most recent and preliminary account of journalist casualties in the war. Our database will not include all of these cases until we have completed further investigations into the circumstances surrounding them. For more information, read our FAQ .

The Israel-Gaza war has taken an unprecedented toll on Gazan journalists since Israel declared war on Hamas following its attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.

As of August 8, 2024, CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed at least 113 journalists and media workers were among the more than 40,000 killed since the war began, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.

Journalists in Gaza face particularly high  risks as they try to cover the conflict during the Israeli ground assault , including devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages, and extensive power outages. This has meant that it is becoming increasingly hard to document the situation , and CPJ is investigating almost 350 additional cases of potential killings, arrests and injuries.

Killed Injured Missing By month (killed only) July May April March February January December November October

“Since the war in Gaza started, journalists have been paying the highest price–their lives–for their reporting. Without protection, equipment, international presence, communications, or food and water, they are still doing their crucial jobs to tell the world the truth,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York. “Every time a journalist is killed, injured, arrested, or forced to go to exile, we lose fragments of the truth. Those responsible for these casualties face dual trials: one under international law and another before history’s unforgiving gaze.”

Journalists are civilians and are protected by International Law. Deliberately targeting civilians constitutes a war crime. In May, the International Criminal Court announced it was seeking arrest warrant applications for Hamas and Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. To date, CPJ has determined that at least three journalists were directly targeted by Israeli forces in killings which CPJ classifies as murders, but is still researching the details for confirmation in at least 10 other cases that indicate possible targeting.

As of August 8:

• 113 journalists and media workers were confirmed killed: 108 Palestinian, two Israeli, and three Lebanese.
• 32 journalists were reported injured.
• 2 journalists were reported missing.
• 52 journalists were reported arrested .
• Multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family members .

CPJ is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’ homes.

The list published here includes names based on information obtained from CPJ’s sources in the region and media reports. It includes all journalists* involved in news-gathering activity. It is not always immediately clear whether all of these journalists were covering the conflict at the time of their deaths, but CPJ has included them in its count as it investigate their circumstances.

The list is being updated on a regular basis, with names being removed if CPJ confirms that those members of the media were not working journalists at the time they were killed, injured or went missing. 

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly told media outlets that the army does not deliberately target journalists. It also told agencies in October that it cannot guarantee the safety of the journalists. CPJ has called for an end to the longstanding pattern of impunity in cases of journalists killed by the IDF.

U.N. experts have raised concerns over the killings of journalists, saying in a February statement that they were “alarmed at the extraordinarily high numbers of journalists and media workers who have been killed, attacked, injured and detained in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza, in recent months blatantly disregarding international law.”

Journalists and media workers reported killed, missing, or injured:

July 31, 2024

Ismail Al Ghoul

Al Ghoul, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist working for the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera Arabic TV channel, was killed in an Israeli strike on a car he and his colleague Rami Al Refee were using  in Al Shatei camp, near Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera and multiple news reports. Those sources said that Al Ghoul was wearing a press vest when he was killed.  

Al Ghoul and Al Refee were covering the aftermath of the assassination of the senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reporting from in front of Haniyeh’s home in Gaza an hour before they were killed.

Al Jazeera said in its live coverage that Al Ghoul and Al Refee were leaving the scene after an Israeli strike hit a building near Haniyeh’s home. Al Jazeera northern Gaza correspondent Anas Al Sharif said that the journalists in the area left in two vehicles, Al Ghoul and Al Refee’s car was hit about five minutes later. That account is similar to that of Al Araby TV’s correspondent , Islam Badr, who said that no clashes were taking place in the area.

Al Jazeera said that it believes the journalists were deliberately targeted.

The broadcaster aired videos of the first moments after the strike hit the journalists’ vehicle, showing the car moving backwards from the impact. It also broadcast footage filmed by journalists and first responders in the scene, showing Al Ghoul and Al Refee being removed from the car. Al Sharif said that Al Ghoul’s head was severed from his body. The journalists’ bodies were taken to Al Maamadani hospital , where colleagues said their last goodbyes.

In a statement , Al Jazeera Media Network said that Israeli forces targeted Al Ghoul and Al Refee’s vehicle with a missile, “resulting in a cold-blooded assassination.” The network pledged to “pursue all legal actions to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and stands in unwavering solidarity with all journalists in Gaza.” 

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on August 1 that it had killed Al Ghoul in an airstrike, alleging that he was a member of Hamas’ military wing and that “his activities in the field were a vital part of Hamas’ military activity.” According to the IDF, Al Ghoul had instructed other operatives on how to record operations “and was actively involved in recording and publicizing attacks against IDF troops.”   

Al Jazeera strongly rejected what it called “baseless allegations” about Al Ghoul. The network said that the accusation, “which Israel presented without proof,” was an attempt to justify the “deliberate killing” of Al Ghoul and Al Refee. Al Jazeera Media Network said the accusation against Al Ghoul “highlights Israel’s long history of fabrications and false evidence used to cover up its heinous crimes.”

Al Ghoul was previously arrested by the IDF at Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The Al Jazeera Media Network statement said that his release from detention “debunks and refutes their false claim of his affiliation” with any organization.

Al Jazeera said that Al Ghoul joined the network in November 2023, dedicating all his time and effort to covering the war. It called for an independent international investigation into the crimes committed against its journalists and staff.

Al Ghoul, one of the few reporters remaining in northern Gaza, had more than 620,000 Instagram followers and was well-known for his appearances on Al Jazeera. He was married and the father of a toddler, Zeina, who had not seen him since the war began. Al Ghoul was buried in Gaza City on July 31, 2024.

Rami Al Refee

Al Refee, a 27-year-old Palestinian camera operator who worked for the local National News Agency and was freelancing for Al Jazeera during the Israel-Gaza war, was killed in an Israeli strike on a car he and his colleague Ismail Al Ghoul were using in Al Shatei camp, near Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera and multiple news reports.

Al Ghoul and Al Refee were covering the aftermath of the assassination of the senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reporting from in front of Haniyeh’s home in Gaza an hour before they were killed. Al Jazeera said in its live coverage that Al Ghoul and Al Refee were leaving the scene after an Israeli strike hit a building near Haniyeh’s home. Al Jazeera northern Gaza correspondent Anas Al Sharif said that the journalists in the area left in two vehicles, Al Ghoul and Al Refee’s car was hit about five minutes later. That account is similar to that of Al Araby TV’s correspondent , Islam Badr, who said that no clashes were taking place in the area. 

Al Jazeera said that it believes the journalists were deliberately targeted. The broadcaster aired videos of the first moments after the strike hit the journalists’ vehicle, showing the car moving backwards from the impact. It also broadcast footage filmed by journalists and first responders in the scene, showing Al Ghoul and Al Refee being removed from the car. Al Sharif said that Al Ghoul’s head was severed from his body. The journalists’ bodies were taken to Al Maamadani hospital , where colleagues said their last goodbyes.

In a statement , Al Jazeera Media Network said that Israeli forces targeted Al Ghoul and Al Refee’s vehicle with a missile, “resulting in a cold-blooded assassination.” The network pledged to “pursue all legal actions to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and stands in unwavering solidarity with all journalists in Gaza.” The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on August 1 that it had killed Al Ghoul in an airstrike, alleging that he was a member of Hamas’ military wing and that “his activities in the field were a vital part of Hamas’ military activity.” According to the IDF, Al Ghoul had instructed other operatives on how to record operations “and was actively involved in recording and publicizing attacks against IDF troops.” Al Jazeera strongly rejected what it called “baseless allegations” about Al Ghoul, saying that the accusation, “which Israel presented without proof,” was an attempt to justify the “deliberate killing” of Al Ghoul and Al Refee.

Al Refee was buried in Gaza City on July 31, 2024.

Mohammed Abu Jasser

Abu Jasser, a Palestinian journalist working for the Hamas-affiliated newspaper Al-Risala and the pro-Hamas newspaper Felesteen, was killed along with his mother, wife, and at least two of his children in an Israeli airstrike at about 3 a.m. in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to Felesteen , news reports , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

Abu Jasser was born onSeptember 7, 1985, Felesteen reported. He obtained a master’s degree in journalism from the Islamic University of Gaza and freelanced for multiple outlets, including the privately owned, Qatar-funded Ultra Palestine news site, and the Abu Dhabi-based magazine Zahrat Al Khaleej, it said.

Since October 7, Abu Jasser frequently reported on airstrikes and funerals in northern Gaza. On October 13, he posted on Facebook , “For me and all my family, we’re not leaving.”

On Facebook, Abu Jasser shared multiple emotional posts about the agony of losing his brother, Abdallah, during the war. His last post was a video of a funeral, captioned “daily scene in Gaza.”

On assignment? Yes

July 5, 2024

Saadi Madoukh

Madoukh, a Palestinian journalist and freelance camera operator for outlets including Al Jazeera and the Turkish state broadcaster TRT, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Al Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, according to news reports , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Palestinian press freedom group MADA , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Madoukh was also the founder and CEO of Deep Shot media production company, according to his Facebook profile. Its last project was a video for a song by Sol Band recorded in Gaza during the war about the deaths of Palestinian children. Adeeb Sukkar, another media worker who produced the graphics for the video, was injured in the strike that killed Madoukh.

Madoukh post extensively on Facebook , mostly venting about the war in northern Gaza, where he remained. On June 21, he wrote “I don’t care about reaching goals, all I care about is for the war to end.” His last post , on the day of his death, read “Whatever you ask us, our answer will be ‘Thank God.’”

July 1, 2024

Mohammed Abu Sharia

Abu Sharia, managing editor of the local privately owned Shams News Agency, was injured in an Israeli airstrike in the Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City on June 29, resulting in severe head injuries, according to his outlet , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the International Federation of Journalists . He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Indonesian Hospital and died on July 1.

Abu Sharia studied journalism at the Islamic University of Gaza and worked for various outlets before becoming a reporter at Shams News Agency, where he was later promoted to managing editor, the outlet said.

May 31, 2024

Ola Al Dahdouh

Al Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist working as an editor and presenter for the local Sawt Al Watan radio station, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on her husband’s family home in Gaza City’s Al Jalaa neighborhood, according to  SKeyes , the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the  Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate . In a  post on her Facebook page , her brother Mohannad said that Ola was killed in the airstrike, which he said happened without any prior alert. Those sources said that Al Dahdouh’s husband, Abdelrahman Helles, and her son, Karam, were wounded in the airstrike.

Wissam Zaghbar, director of radio Sawt Al Watan, told CPJ via messaging app that Al Dahdouh was 28 years old and Karam is 1 1/2 years old. 

Al Dahdouh’s house in northern Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood was destroyed in October by Israeli bombing, according to a post by her on  Facebook  page and Zaghbar. After that attack, “the three of them were displaced … to a house that belonged to her husband’s uncle,” Zaghbar said.  “On May 31, 2024, that house was hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed her and her husband’s uncle.” 

Zaghbar added, “Ola trained at our radio station in 2017 when she was only a media student, then she started working there after her graduation in 2019. She started as an editor in the news division and then became also a presenter, where she shined. She was an editor and a host at the same time and was known for her punctuality even though her program was very early in the morning.” 

Before her death, Al Dahdouh posted critical views of  Hamas  on her  Facebook page ,  including   posts  calling for the  war  to  end . 

On assignment? Presumed; investigation ongoing

May 16, 2024

Mahmoud Juhjouh

Juhjouh, a Palestinian photographer who worked for the local Palestine Post Network, was killed along with his wife, children, and mother, in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, according to his outlet and media reports .

Those reports mentioned that Juhjouh had been displaced several times with his family, and had returned to his house after the Israeli army withdrew from northern Gaza.

On assignment? Presumed; investigation ongoing May 11, 2024

Bahaa Okasha

Okasha, a Palestinian camera operator who worked for the Hamas affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Al-Qasasib neighborhood in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, along with his son Hamza and his wife, according to Al Jazeera , Qatari-funded Al-Araby TV , the privately owned Palestinian Maan News Agency , and the privately owned Lebanese newspaper Annahar .

May 6, 2024

Mustafa Ayyad

Ayyad, a freelance Palestinian photographer, was killed after he was critically injured by an Israeli airstrike on his home in Azzaytoun neighborhood in northern Gaza, according to multiple media reports . Those sources said that Ayyad suffered injuries to his head, heart, and liver, and was taken to Al-Maamadani hospital where he was pronounced dead. Ayyad worked for Al Jazeera Mubashar and Al Jazeera Net on a freelance basis during the war, according to Al Jazeera .

April 29, 2024

Salem Abu Toyour

Abu Toyour, a Palestinian media worker at the Hamas affiliated Al-Quds Al-Youm TV channel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his family home in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, along with two relatives including his son Ahmed, according to Beirut-based press freedom group  SKeyes , the independent Palestinian news agency Wattan , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

April 26, 2024

Ibrahim Mohamad Al-Gharbawi

Al-Gharbawi, Palestinian freelance photojournalist, was killed along with his brother, Ayman in an Israeli drone strike in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, when they were filming with a drone according to Beirut based-press freedom group SKeyes , the independent Palestinian news agency Shfa , and the Russian state-owned outlet RT . According to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , the journalists were buried on April 27, 2024, near Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Ayman Mohamad Al-Gharbawi

Al-Gharbawi, Palestinian freelance photojournalist, was killed in an Israeli drone strike along with his brother, Ibrahim, in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, when they were filming by a drone, according to Beirut based-press freedom group  SKeyes , the independent Palestinian news agency Shfa , and the Russian state-owned outlet RT . According to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , the journalists were buried on April 27, 2024, near Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah.

April 25, 2024

Mohammed Bassam Al Jamal

Al Jamal, Palestinian photographer working for the pro-Islamic Jihad news agency Palestine Now, was killed after sustaining critical injuries in an Israeli airstrike on his family home in the Al-Jenenah neighborhood in Rafah, southern Gaza, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the privately owned Al-Ghad TV channel, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Qatari-funded Al-Araby Al-Jadeed . SKeyes said that the airstrike occurred at 11:00 p.m. on April 24, injuring Al Jamal and killing six of his relatives before Al Jamal succumbed to his critical injuries at 5:00 a.m. the next day.

March 28, 2024

Mohamed Abu Skheil

Mohamed Adel Abu Skheil, a Palestinian media worker who worked as an editor and graphic designer for the local privately owned Shams News Agency, was killed by Israeli bullets when the Israeli army raided the Al-Shifa hospital complex in northern Gaza, according to his outlet , the International Federation of Journalists , and the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds news agency . His outlet said that Abu Skheil was killed inside the hospital after he took refuge in it following the destruction of his house in an Israeli airstrike at the beginning of the war.

Editor’s Note: CPJ corrected the work affiliation of the journalist after reports that two people with the same name were killed at the hospital. CPJ is still investigating the other name.

March 25, 2024

Saher Akram Rayan

Rayan, a journalist who works for the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA, was killed with his son, Anas, in an Israeli strike in the west of Gaza City as they were assisting injured neighbors, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , Middle East Eye , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the International Federation of Journalists .

March 15, 2024

Mohamed El-Reefi

El-Reefi, a Palestinian freelance photographer, died of injuries sustained on March 14 when he was hit by Israeli army gunfire while attempting to obtain flour in a humanitarian aid delivery southeast of Gaza City, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , and the Palestine Chronicle . El-Reefi used his Instagram account to document life in Gaza before and during wartime.

March 14, 2024

Abdul Rahman Saima

Saima, a Palestinian photojournalist for Raqami TV, an Arabic language media outlet that focuses on technology news, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , and Palestine Chronicle . Raqami TV issued a statement on Facebook mourning Saima’s death and added that he was part of the media outlet since its beginning. Raqami TV said that Saima served as a photojournalist and producer for the program “Ibtekar” or “Innovation.”

March 5, 2024

Muhammad Salama

Salama, a Palestinian journalist who worked as a host for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel, was killed with his family in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, according to several media reports , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency .

CPJ wasn’t immediately able to specify the number of family members killed with Salama. A report by the Qatari-funded Al-Araby TV in the area showed damage from the airstrikes on the residential area, and Al-Araby’s reporter on the ground, Bassel Khalaf, said at least six people were pulled from under the rubble, while others remained missing. A witness in the area told the channel that the family was having dinner when they were killed.

According to Al-Aqsa Voice radio and the Egypt-based Al-Bawaba News , Salama was buried in Gaza on March 6, 2024.

February 23, 2024

Mohamed Yaghi

Yaghi, a 30-year-old freelance photojournalist who worked with multiple media outlets, including Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Az-Zawayda town in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, along with 36 family members, including his wife and daughter, according to Al Jazeera , the International Federation of Journalists , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

February 15, 2024

Zayd Abu Zayed

Abu Zayed, a 35-year-old director of the local Quran Radio channel, which is owned by the Islamic University of Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, according to the Qatari-funded Al-Araby TV , the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency .

February 14, 2024

Ayman Al-Rafati

Al-Rafati, a Palestinian journalist, writer, and political analyst who wrote for the Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster Al Mayadeen and appeared regularly on Al Mayadeen and Al Jazeera , was killed along with his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews in an Israeli airstrike on his home at Al Jalaa Street in Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera , Middle East Eye , and the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network .

Al-Rafati, who had a PhD and was on the board of the Center for Regional Studies – Palestine,  appeared on Al Jazeera hours before his death.

February 12, 2024

Alaa Al-Hams

Al-Hams, a 35-year-old Palestinian journalist for the local Palestinian News Agency SND succumbed to her injuries after being seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike on her family house in Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, which resulted in the tragic loss of 10 members of her family on December 2, 2023, according to Palestine Chronicle , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), and the Cairo-based Ahram online .

Angam Ahmad Edwan

Edwan, a Palestinian journalist who worked for the Libyan TV channel February , was killed in an Israeli airstrike on her home in Jabalia city, northern Gaza Strip, according to her channel , the Cairo-based Ahram online , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , and Palestine Chronicle .

February 11, 2024

Yasser Mamdouh El-Fady

Mamdouh El-Fady, a 40-year-old journalist for the Islamic Jihad affiliated Kan’an news agency , was killed by an Israeli sniper at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, according to multiple media reports , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

February 8, 2024

Nafez Abdel Jawad

Abdel Jawad, a Palestinian director for the official Palestine Television station, Palestine TV, was killed along with his son in an Israeli missile strike on the house they were staying in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Additionally, the missile killed 14 people, including five children, according to CNN , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency . Responding to an inquiry from CNN on the killing of Abdel Jawad, the Israel Defense Forces stated that it “takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians, including journalists. The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target journalists.” They added that they were not aware of any strikes at these coordinates.

February 6, 2024

Rizq Al-Gharabli

Al-Gharabli, a 40-year-old director of the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his family’s home in Khan Yunis, according to media reports , the Palestinian Information Center ,  the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

The Palestinian Information Center said that Al-Gharabli was its Gaza office director since 2015, and worked as a writer and editor until his death.

January 29, 2024

Mohammed Atallah

Atallah, a 24-year-old Palestinian editor for the local Al-Resalah news website and a writer for the regional independent website Raseef22 , was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beach refugee camp in northern Gaza City, along with an unidentified number of family members, according to a tweet by Raseef22 that included his last voice message, the local news agency Safa , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Ayman Sharrouf, Raseef22’s political editor, told CPJ that Atallah “wrote for Raseef22 under his name and another pseudonym. He was particularly interested in the daily life stories of the Gazans, despite the siege on Gaza, the corruption, and the narrow political interests in the strip. When the war started, we started collaborating, and he wrote three pieces, but he lived in the north where there was intense bombing, and one of the Israeli airstrikes hit his parents’ house, which killed one of his brothers and all his family members.”

Sharrouf told CPJ that “Atallah evacuated after surviving a lot of near-death situations. In his last correspondence with us, he told me that he’s safe and he wants to resume working soon, but I later learned about his death from the news.” Sharrouf added, “Mohammed was a very professional journalist. He wanted to relay the voices of the people. He worked hard on his pieces and was very keen on factual reporting of the daily life of Gaza’s people, despite all the challenges that a journalist like him faces. Unfortunately, he was killed before he got to do what he wanted in journalism; and the most horrific heartbreaking part was that he thought he would survive.”

On assignment? Presumed; investigation ongoing.

January 25, 2024

Iyad El-Ruwagh

El-Ruwagh, a Palestinian journalist who worked as a host for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice Radio, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat camp in northern Gaza, along with four of his children, according to multiple media reports , his outlet , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

El-Ruwagh was buried on January 26, according to Al Jazeera . Prior to his death, he posted on Facebook about his family’s dire conditions, asking for someone who was leaving Gaza to take his toddler to his wife, who fled to Sinai, Egypt, with his son Mohamed following a previous airstrike that severely injured him. After El-Ruwagh’s death, his wife published Facebook posts about him and her slain children: Loay, Nada, Yazan, and the toddler, Ahmed.

January 14, 2024

Yazan al-Zuweidi

Al-Zuweidi, a Palestinian journalist and camera operator for the privately owned Cairo-based broadcaster Al-Ghad, was killed, along with his brother and cousin, in an Israeli airstrike on Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza while on his way to see what had happened to his home in the aftermath of heavy bombing, according to his employer , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , The New Arab , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

Al-Zuweidi, 27, had been working with Al-Ghad for six years, and covered the war and various other events in Gaza, according to the broadcaster. Al-Ghad said that Al-Zuweidi didn’t stop reporting on the ongoing war; he kept filming from northern Gaza and sending footage to the channel after it was impossible for him to evacuate south to Rafah.

January 11, 2024

Mohamed Jamal Sobhi Al-Thalathini

Al-Thalathini, a Palestinian journalist who worked for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds Al-Youm broadcaster, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in south Gaza, according to the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice Radio , Islamic Jihad-affiliated broadcaster Palestine Today , and the Qatari-funded newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed .

January 10, 2024

Ahmed Bdeir

Bdeir, a Palestinian journalist working for the local news website Bawabat al-Hadaf, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis, close to the Aqsa Martyrs hospital. Bdeir was standing in front of the journalists’ tent at the hospital gate and died when a shrapnel hit him, according to Al Jazeera , The New Arab , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes . His outlet said that he worked relentlessly during the war to cover the news. Bawabat al-Hadaf is affiliated with The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine .

January 9, 2024

Heba Al-Abadla

Al-Abadla, a 30-year-old journalist and host for the local Al-Azhar radio station, owned by Al-Azhar University in Gaza, and the co-founder of the Social Media Club-Palestine , was killed along with her daughter Judy and several family members in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Yunis, according to media reports , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the New Arab , the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

At Social Media Club-Palestine, Al-Abadla held training and conferences on technology related matters, including content writing and journalism.

January 8, 2024

Abdallah Iyad Breis

Breis, a 26-year-old journalist who led the photography section for the Rawafed educational channel, owned by the Hamas government’s ministry of education, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Khan Yunis, according to media reports , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

January 7, 2024

Hamza Al Dahdouh

Al Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist and camera operator for Al Jazeera, and the son of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al Dahdouh, was killed in an Israeli drone strike along with freelance journalist Mustafa Thuraya, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. They were driving to an assignment in southern Gaza when the strike occurred, according to Al Jazeera and the BBC .

Mustafa Thuraya

Thuraya, a Palestinian freelance videographer working for Agence France-Presse (AFP), was killed in an Israeli drone strike along with Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Al Dahdouh, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. They were driving to an assignment in southern Gaza when the strike occurred, according to Al Jazeera, BBC , and AFP .

January 5, 2024

Akram ElShafie

ElShafie, a Palestinian journalist working as a reporter and editor for the Palestinian press agency Safa died after sustaining injuries months before on October 30, from an Israeli bullet, according to his outlet Safa , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), and Al Jazeera . PJS said in a statement that ElShafie required medical attention after sustaining the life-threatening injury, and that it submitted a request to evacuate the journalists from Gaza for that purpose, but it was declined by Israel, according to the syndicate. The syndicate also stated that 25 journalists in Gaza are injured and require immediate medical attention.

Safa said that ElShafie, 53, was injured badly by Israeli bullets when he was on his way to check up on his house, and that he spent the last two months in hospitals. It added that ElShafie started working with Safa in 2019, and that the last report he wrote was about the cooperation and solidarity between Gazan refugees in the war.

December 29, 2023

Jabr Abu Hadrous

Abu Hadrous, a Palestinian journalist and a reporter for the Hamas-affiliated Quds Al-Youm broadcaster, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Nuseirat refugee camp, northern Gaza, along with seven members of his family, according to Al Jazeera , Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen , and the privately owned government-affiliated Al-Ghad newspaper in Jordan.

December 28, 2023

Ahmed Khaireddine

Khaireddine, a Palestinian journalist and a cameraman for the Hamas-affiliated Quds Al-Youm TV, and a reporter for the Hamas-affiliated Quds feed, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his family home in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, along with 12 family members, including his uncle Mohamed Khaireddine, according to the Islamic Jihad-affiliated broadcaster Palestine Today , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and Al Jazeera .

Khaireddine’s brother, Basil, who was a reporter for the Palestine Today broadcaster, spoke about his brother’s killing to the channel, in a video that spread virally. Basil said that Ahmed wanted to take a day off work for the first time in 82 days and didn’t want to leave the house to report when Basil asked him to go with him, adding: “He wanted to rest, but apparently his rest was forever.”

December 24, 2023

Mohamad Al-Iff

Al-Iff, a Palestinian journalist and photographer for the Hamas government-owned local newspaper and news agency Al-Rai, was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, northern Gaza, along with an unspecified number of family members, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Qatari-funded London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed , and the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network . Al-Iff’s cousin, journalist Mohamed Azzaytouniyah, was killed in the same strikes, according to a tweet by Al-Iff’s cousin Hammam.

Mohamed Azzaytouniyah

Azzaytouniyah, a Palestinian media worker and a sound engineer for the Hamas government-owned local radio Al-Rai was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, northern Gaza, along with unspecified number of family members including his father, according to a tweet by his brother Hammam, the outlet , the Qatari-funded London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed , and the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network . His cousin, journalist Mohamad Al-Iff, was killed in the same strikes.

Ahmad Jamal Al Madhoun

Al Madhoun, a Palestinian journalist and deputy director of the Hamas government-owned local newspaper and news agency Al-Rai and the director of visual content at the agency, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network , the Qatar-funded London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed , and the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency .

December 23, 2023

Mohamed Naser Abu Huwaidi

Abu Huwaidi, a 29-year-old Palestinian journalist working for the privately owned Al-Istiklal newspaper, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Shajaiah area in northern Gaza while covering the aftermath of the airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the Qatar-funded London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the Cairo-based independent website Darb .

December 22, 2023

Mohamed Khalifeh

Khalifeh, a media worker and director at the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, along his wife and three of his children, according to his outlet , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , the Lebanese Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV , and the privately owned news channel Al-Ghad TV .

December 19, 2023

Zorob, a Palestinian freelance journalist who worked with multiple media outlets, including the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice Radio, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Rafah, southern Gaza, along with 25 family members, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Middle East Eye , the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the independent Wattan news agency .

Zorob posted Gaza war news on his Facebook page and on WhatsApp news groups. The last news message was sent directly before his death, according to a WhatsApp screenshot CPJ viewed. The Zorob family were among the few Palestinians in Gaza who remained in their own homes in a war that has displaced some 1.9 million people — more than 80% of the territory’s population, according to the Associated Press .

December 18, 2023

Abdallah Alwan

Alwan, a Palestinian media worker and voice-over specialist who contributed to multiple media outlets including the Al Jazeera owned platform Midan, Mugtama magazine, and Al Jazeera, and was a radio host for the Islamic University’s Holy Quran Radio, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Jabalia, according to his outlet Midan , the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Radio , the local Palestinian newspaper Al-Hadath , and Amman-based Roya TV . In his last Facebook post on December 17, Alwan wrote that “On every morning, we say that last night was the worst night in the war… All days are worse than each other. This briefly describes the war.” On November 30, Alwan posted photos of damage to his home by Israeli bombing, saying two of his nieces were killed in the strikes.

December 17, 2023

Assem Kamal Moussa

Moussa, a Palestinian journalist who produced visual and written news reports for the local privately owned news website Palestine Now, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to his outlet , Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster Al-Mayadeen , and the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa radio channel.

Haneen Kashtan

Kashtan, a Palestinian journalist who contributed to multiple media outlets including the local Fatah-affiliated Al-Kofiya TV and the local privately owned Baladna TV , was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat refugee camp in northern Gaza, along with other family members, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Al Jazeera , and the Cairo-based Youm7 .

December 15, 2023

Samer Abu Daqqa

Abu Daqqa, a camera operator for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed by a drone strike while covering the aftermath of nightly Israeli strikes on a United Nations school sheltering displaced people in the center of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters news agency. He was trapped with other injured people in the school, which was surrounded by Israeli forces, and was unable to be evacuated for treatment. His colleague, Al Jazeera bureau chief Wael Al Dahdouh, was injured in the same strike.

December 9, 2023

Duaa Jabbour Jabbour, a Palestinian freelance journalist who worked with the local website Eyes Media Network, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on her home along with her husband and children in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes, Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , and the Qatar-funded London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed . In her last Facebook post, Jabbour wrote: “To survive everyday is exhausting.”

Ola Atallah

Atallah, a Palestinian freelance journalist who contributed to multiple media outlets, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the house in which she and her family were taking refuge, in the El-Daraj area of Gaza City, northern Gaza, according to Arabi 21 , the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate . Those sources said that Atallah was killed with nine members of her family, including her brother and her uncles.

On November 27, Atallah wrote an article for the Al-Morasel website about life in Gaza during the war, describing the destruction and damage to her neighborhood and city. Atallah worked as a reporter for Anadolu Agency until 2017. Atallah was well-known on social media, and her last tweet on December 8 asked, “How many more nights of terror and death does Gaza have to count?”

December 3, 2023

Hassan Farajallah

Farajallah, who held a senior position with the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV, was killed by Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists .

Shaima El-Gazzar

A Palestinian journalist for Al-Majedat network, El-Gazzar was killed along with her family members in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah city, southern Gaza, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes and the Cairo-based media outlet Darb .

December 1, 2023

Abdullah Darwish

A Palestinian cameraman for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Darwish was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Montaser Al-Sawaf

Al-Sawaf, a Palestinian cameraman for Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, was killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, according to the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency , Middle East Monitor , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Adham Hassouna

Hassouna, a Palestinian freelance journalist and media professor at Gaza and Al-Aqsa universities, was killed, along with several family members in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian news network Shfa , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

November 24, 2023

Mostafa Bakeer

Bakeer, a Palestinian journalist and cameraperson for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa radio , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the International Federation of Journalists .

November 23, 2023

Mohamed Mouin Ayyash

Ayyash, a Palestinian journalist and a freelance photographer, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, along with 20 members of his family, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

November 22, 2023

Assem Al-Barsh

Al-Barsh, a sound engineer working for the Gaza’s Hamas government owned Al-Rai radio and freelancing for other local radio stations, was shot dead by Israeli sniper fire when he was on his way home on November 22, 2023, in the Al-Saftawi area north of Gaza City, according to news reports and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

According to a news report by Radio An-Naja7, Al-Barsh helped Radio An-Naja7 develop a podcast entitled “ The Identity Podcast ” that focuses on the values of dialogue and cultural and religious diversity in the Arab world. In the days prior to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, Al-Barsh set up a small radio studio at his home, where he was a sound engineer for the podcast.

In 2021, Al-Barsh also hosted and produced the program “With You” for Radio Namaa, during which listeners could dedicate songs or send greetings to friends or loved ones.   

Mohamed Nabil Al-Zaq

Al-Zaq, a Palestinian journalist and a social media manager for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Shejaiya in northern Gaza, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , the Ramallah-based news website Wattan TV , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the International Federation of Journalists .  

November 21, 2023

Jamal Mohamed Haniyeh

Haniyeh, a reporter for the sports news website Amwaj , was killed along with other family members and in-laws in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Gaza City, according to news reports and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate . 

According to the same reports, Haniyeh was the grandson of Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh and also worked as a radio engineer. Haniyeh covered the football league in Gaza , as well as other stories, including the visit by Abdel Salam Haniyeh , the assistant secretary of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, to the injured journalist Ashraf Abu Amra while he was receiving medical treatment in Turkey for injuries suffered in September 2023 while covering a Gaza border protest .

Omar, a Lebanese reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV channel, was killed by an Israeli strike in the Tayr Harfa area in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel, according to Al-Mayadeen , Al Jazeera , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes . She was reporting on escalating hostilities across the Lebanese-Israeli border and gave a live update an hour before her death.

Rabih Al Maamari

Al Maamari, a Lebanese cameraperson for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV channel, was killed by an Israeli strike in the Tayr Harfa area in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel, along with his colleague Farah Omar, according to Al-Mayadeen , Al Jazeera , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

November 20, 2023

Ayat Khadoura

Khadoura, a Palestinian freelance journalist and podcast presenter, was killed along with an unknown number of family members in an Israeli airstrike on her home in Beit Lahya in northern Gaza, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the news website Arabi 21 , and London-based Al-Ghad TV . Khadoura shared videos on social media about the situation in Gaza, including a November 6 video, which she called “ my last message to the world ” where she said, “We had big dreams but our dream now is to be killed in one piece so they know who we are.”

November 19, 2023

Bilal Jadallah

Jadallah , director of Press House-Palestine , a non-profit which supports the development of independent Palestinian media, was killed in his car in Gaza in an Israeli airstrike, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Al Qahera News , and the Cairo-based Youm7 .

November 18, 2023

Abdelhalim Awad

A Palestinian media worker and driver for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Awad was killed in a strike on his home in the Gaza Strip, according to the London-based Al-Ghad TV , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes . Awad had been working full-time since the beginning of the war in Khan Yunis and had left to visit his family last week, his colleague Ziad AlMokayyed told CPJ via messaging app.

Sari Mansour

Mansour, director of the Quds News Network, and his colleague and friend Hassouneh Salim were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the Cairo-based Elwatan news , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Al Jazeera , and Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency .

Hassouneh Salim

Salim, a Palestinian freelance photojournalist, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, along with his colleague and friend Sari Mansour, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

Mostafa El Sawaf

El Sawaf, a Palestinian writer and analyst who contributed to the local news website MSDR News, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home along with his wife and two of his sons in Shawa Square, Gaza City, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Cairo-based Youm7 .

Amro Salah Abu Hayah

A Palestinian media worker in the broadcast department of the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel, Abu Hayah was killed in a strike in Gaza, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

Mossab Ashour

Ashour, a Palestinian photographer, was killed during an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip but his death was not reported until November 18, soon after his body was discovered, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , TRT Arabi , and Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency .

November 13, 2023

Ahmed Fatima

A photographer for the Egypt-based Al Qahera News TV and a media worker with Press House-Palestine, Fatima was killed in a strike in Gaza, according to Al Qahera News TV , the Cairo-based Ahram Online , the Palestinians Journalists’ Syndicate , and the Amman-based news outlet Roya News .

Yaacoub Al-Barsh

Al-Barsh, executive director of the local Namaa Radio, was killed after sustaining injuries on November 12 from an Israeli airstrike on his home in northern Gaza, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , the Ramallah-based Palestinian news network Shfa , and the Palestinian press freedom group MADA .

November 10, 2023

Ahmed Al-Qara

Al-Qara, a photojournalist who worked for Al-Aqsa University and was also a freelancer, was killed in a strike at the entrance of Khuza’a town, east of the southern city of Khan Yunis, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Cairo-based Al-Dostor newspaper .

November 7, 2023

Yahya Abu Manih

A journalist with Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa radio channel, Abu Manih was killed in a strike in the Gaza strip, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , Al Jazeera , and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

Mohamed Abu Hassira

Abu Hassira, a journalist for the Palestinian Authority-run WAFA news agency, was killed in a strike on his home in Gaza along with 42 family members, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , the London-based news website The New Arab , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

November 5, 2023

Mohamed Al Jaja

Al Jaja was a media worker and the organizational development consultant at Press House-Palestine , which owns Sawa news agency in Gaza and promotes press freedom and independent media. He was killed in a strike on his home along with his wife and two daughters in the Al-Naser neighborhood in northern Gaza, according to the London-based news website The New Arab , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

November 2, 2023

Mohamad Al-Bayyari

Al-Bayyari, a Palestinian journalist with the Hamas affiliated Al-Aqsa TV channel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News , the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Mohammed Abu Hatab A journalist and correspondent for the Palestinian Authority-funded broadcaster Palestine TV, Abu Hatab was killed along with 11 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency Wafa and the Amman-based news outlet Roya News . Those sources added that Abu Hatab’s last live coverage was an hour before he was killed, and that he was killed shortly after stepping into his home.

November 1, 2023

Majd Fadl Arandas

A member of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate who worked for the news website Al-Jamaheer, Arandas was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes .

Matar, a journalist working for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, was killed along with his mother in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Amman-based news outlet Roya News and the Islamic Jihad-affiliated broadcaster channel Palestine Today .

October 31, 2023

Imad Al-Wahidi

A media worker and administrator for the Palestinian Authority-run Palestine TV channel, Al-Wahidi was killed with his family members in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement issued by the channel, the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

Majed Kashko

Kashko, a media worker and the office director of the Palestinian Authority-run Palestine TV channel, was killed with his family members in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement issued by the channel, the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

October 30, 2023

Nazmi Al-Nadim

Al-Nadim, a deputy director of finance and administration for Palestine TV, was killed with members of his family in a strike on his home in Zeitoun area, eastern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA and Egypt’s state-run Middle East News Agency .

October 27, 2023

Yasser Abu Namous

Palestinian journalist Yasser Abu Namous of Al-Sahel media organization was killed in a strike on his family home in Khan Yunis, Gaza, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , Al Jazeera , and the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds network .

October 26, 2023

Duaa Sharaf

Palestinian journalist Sharaf, host for the Hamas-affiliated Radio Al-Aqsa , was killed with her child in a strike on her home in the Yarmouk neighborhood in Gaza, according to Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor .

October 25, 2023

Jamal Al-Faqaawi

Al-Faqaawi, a Palestinian journalist for the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Mithaq Media Foundation, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera ,  the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the Palestinian News Network , and the International Federation of Journalists .

Saed Al-Halabi

Al-Halabi, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the Palestinian press freedom group MADA , and Al Jazeera .

Ahmed Abu Mhadi

A journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Mhadi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and Cairo-based Youm7 . 

Salma Mkhaimer

Mkhaimer, a freelance journalist, was killed alongside her child in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr .

October 24, 2023

Ibrahim Marzouq

Ibrahim Marzouq, a Palestinian media worker for the logistics department of the Gaza Bureau of the Islamic Jihad-affiliated broadcaster Palestine Today TV, was killed along with his family in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Gaza City´s Al-Tuffah neighborhood on October 24, 2023, according to his employer , and a report by the Beirut-based think tank Institute for Palestine Studies.

After Israeli warplanes bombed his home, he remained under the rubble until noon when medical teams were able to extract his body, according to the Institute for Palestine Studies . Marzouq had decided to stay at his home rather than leave for southern Gaza with his family as advised by the Israeli Army, the institute report said.

October 23, 2023

Mohammed Imad Labad

A journalist for the Al Resalah news website, Labad was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, according to RT Arabic and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

October 22, 2023

Roshdi Sarraj

A journalist and co-founder of Ain Media, a Palestinian company specializing in professional media services, Sarraj was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA and Sky News. His widow, Shrouq Al Aila, told CPJ in a May interview that Sarraj was having breakfast with his family before heading to an assignment. Al Aila, also a journalist, stepped in as head of Ain Media after her husband was killed. 

October 20, 2023

On October 20, Israeli journalist Idan was declared dead after his body was recovered, according to The Times of Israel and the International Federation of Journalists . Idan, a photographer for the Israeli newspaper Ynet, was initially reported missing when his wife and daughter were killed in a Hamas attack on October 7 on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. CPJ confirmed that he was working on the day of the attack.

Mohammed Ali

A journalist from Al-Shabab Radio (Youth Radio), Ali was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Cairo-based Al-Dostor newspaper.

October 19, 2023

Khalil Abu Aathra

A videographer for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Abu Aathra was killed along with his brother in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, as reported by the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Amman-based news outlet Roya News .

October 18, 2023

Sameeh Al-Nady

A journalist and director for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Nady was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Palestinian press agency Safa .

October 17, 2023

Mohammad Balousha

Balousha, a journalist and the administrative and financial manager of the Islamic Jihad affiliated broadcaster “Palestine Today” office in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Saftawi neighborhood in northern Gaza, reported Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency and The Guardian .

Bhar, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, according to TRT Arabia and the Cairo-based Arabic newspaper Shorouk News .

October 16, 2023

Abdulhadi Habib

A journalist who worked for Al-Manara News Agency and HQ News Agency, Habib was killed along with several of his family members when a missile strike hit his house near the Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the independent Palestinian news organization International Middle East Media Center .

October 14, 2023

Yousef Maher Dawas

Dawas, a contributing writer for Palestine Chronicle and a writer for We Are Not Numbers (WANN), a youth-led Palestinian nonprofit project, was killed in an Israeli missile strike on his family’s home in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, according to WANN and Palestine Chronicle .

October 13, 2023

The death of Mema, a freelance journalist, was confirmed on this date. Mema held the position of head of the Women Journalists Committee at the Palestinian Media Assembly, an organization committed to advancing media work for Palestinian journalists. Her body was recovered from the rubble three days after her home in the Jabalia refugee camp, situated in the northern Gaza Strip, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on October 10, according to the  Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

Husam Mubarak

Mubarak, a journalist for the Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa Radio, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Beirut-based press freedom group Skeyes and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate .

Issam Abdallah

Abdallah, a Beirut-based videographer for the Reuters news agency, was killed near the Lebanon border by shelling coming from the direction of Israel. Abdallah and several other journalists were covering the back-and-forth shelling near Alma Al-Shaab in southern Lebanon between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.

October 12, 2023

Ahmed Shehab

A journalist for Sowt Al-Asra Radio (Radio Voice of the Prisoners), Shehab, along with his wife and three children, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Palestinian press freedom group MADA , and the London-based news website The New Arab .

October 11, 2023

Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar

Abu Matar, a freelance photojournalist, was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

October 10, 2023

Saeed al-Taweel

Al-Taweel, editor-in-chief of the Al-Khamsa News website, was killed when Israeli warplanes struck an area housing several media outlets in Gaza City’s Rimal district, according to the U.K.-based newspaper The Independent , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

Mohammed Sobh

Sobh, a photographer from Khabar news agency, was killed when Israeli warplanes struck an area housing several media outlets in Gaza City’s Rimal district, according to the U.K.-based newspaper The Independent , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

Hisham Alnwajha

Alnwajha, a journalist with Khabar news agency, was injured when Israeli warplanes struck an area housing several media outlets in Gaza City’s Rimal district, according to the U.K.-based newspaper The Independent , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA .

He died of his injuries later that day, according to the Palestinian press freedom group MADA , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and Palestinian news website AlWatan Voice .

October 8, 2023

Assaad Shamallakh

Shamallakh, a freelance journalist, was killed along with nine members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Sheikh Ijlin, a neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Beirut-based advocacy group The Legal Agenda and BBC Arabic .

October 7, 2023

Yaniv Zohar

Zohar, an Israeli photographer working for the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom, was killed during a Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel, along with his wife and two daughters, according to Israel Hayom and Israel National News . Israel Hayom’s editor-in-chief Omer Lachmanovitch told CPJ that Zohar was working on that day.

Mohammad Al-Salhi

Al-Salhi, a photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency, was shot dead near a Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA , and the Journalist Support Committee (JSC), a nonprofit which promotes the rights of the media in the Middle East.

Mohammad Jarghoun

Jarghoun, a journalist with Smart Media, was shot while reporting on the conflict in an area to the east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the BBC and UNESCO .

Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi

Lafi, a photographer for Ain Media, was shot and killed at the Gaza Strip’s Erez Crossing into Israel, according to the Palestinian press freedom group MADA , the Beirut-based press freedom group SKeyes , and Al Jazeera .

CPJ safety advisories

As we continue to monitor the war in Israel/Gaza, journalists who have questions about their safety and security can contact us [email protected] .

For more information, read:

• Physical Safety: War Reporting
• Physical and digital safety: Civil Disorder
• Psychological Safety
• Physical and digital safety: Arrest and detention

These are available in multiple languages, including Arabic.

CPJ is aware that dozens of Palestinian journalists were injured during the war. CPJ counts the journalists cases it was able to document, and continues to investigate other cases.

May 21, 2024

Amro Manasrah

Manasrah, a freelance photographer working with the local Palestine Post outlet and the regional Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen broadcaster, was hit in the back by an Israeli  bullet that ricocheted off the wall next to him as he and other journalists were reporting on an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to Palestine Post , Al Jazeera , and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ.

Manasrah, who was wearing a press vest, told CPJ via phone call after he was hospitalized, that the bullet hit a wall next to him and ricocheted, hitting him in the back. Manasrah said that only journalists were in the area and were visible to IDF soldiers. Manasrah was later released from the hospital on the same day.

Journalist Obada Tahayneh, a freelance reporter for Al Jazeera Mubashar who was at the scene, told CPJ over the phone that “there were approximately 20 journalists present at the scene, only 150 meters away from IDF soldiers. Seven of us moved towards the nearby hospital, when we heard shots fired. We ran and hid next to a wall, and shortly after I saw Manasrah on the ground.” Tahayneh added that he is still “in shock” from being so close to the shooting and witnessing Manasrah’s injury.

April 12, 2024

Sami Shehadeh, cameraman, TRT Arabic injured by an Israeli shell while reporting in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, which led to the loss of his right leg.

Sami Barhoom, TRT Arabic reporter, injured by an Israeli shell while reporting in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Ahmad Harb was on duty for Al Arabiya TV at the time of the incident and was injured by the Israeli shell.

CNN stringer Mohammad Al-Sawalhi was struck by shrapnel, resulting in a slight injury to his right hand and bruising on his left leg.

March 31, 2024

Freelance photojournalist Ali Hamad, whose back was hit with missile shrapnel in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Freelance photojournalist Saeed Jars, whose knee was hit by shrapnel in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Freelance photojournalist Naaman Shteiwi suffered minor facial injuries in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Zain Media cameraperson Mohammed Abu Dahrouj was seriously injured in the leg in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Freelance photojournalist Nafez Abu Labda suffered a leg injury in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Al-Aqsa photographer Ibrahim Labad suffered leg injuries in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Al Jazeera photographer Hazem Mazeed, who suffered leg injuries in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital .

Freelance photojournalist Magdi Qaraqea was also injured in the attack in an attack on Al-Aqsa hospital , according to CPJ sources. Those sources did not specify his injuries.

Hazem Rajab , injured by the same strike that killed Mustafa Thuraya and Hamza Al Dahdouh on January 7, 2024.

Amer Abu Amr , injured in an Israeli strike on January 7, 2024, several minutes before the one that killed Thuraya and Al Dahdouh.

Ahmed al-Bursh , injured in an Israeli strike on January 7, 2024, several minutes before the one that killed Thuraya and Al Dahdouh.

Khader Marquez

Marquez, a cameraman for Lebanon’s Hezbollah-owned TV channel Al-Manar was injured after shrapnel from an Israeli missile hit his car on the Khardali road of south Lebanon, injuring his left eye, according to Al-Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib, who was with Marquez, posted about the incident on social media , and spoke to the privately-owned Beirut-based Al-Jadeed TV . The incident also was reported by the privately owned Lebanese Annahar newspaper , the Beirut based press freedom group SKeyes , the National News Agency , and multiple news reports .

Islam Bader

Bader , a Palestinian reporter and presenter for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa channel, and a contributor to multiple media outlets including the Qatari-funded Al-Araby TV, was injured in the right shoulder and hip in an Israeli airstrike on Block 2 of the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, on December 19, according to the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat , Al-Araby TV , and Palestine TV . His colleague Mohamed Ahmed was injured in the same strike. A video posted by Al Jazeera shows the two journalists being treated in Jabalia medical center after the attack. Another video posted by the local Palestine Post website shows Bader and Ahmed lying on the floor of the medical center frowning in pain.

Bader told Al-Araby TV that he was injured by three pieces of shrapnel in his shoulder, and hip.

Bader and Ahmed are among the few journalists still reporting from northern Gaza.

Mohamed Ahmed

Ahmed, a Palestinian reporter for the Hamas-affiliated Shehab agency and photographer for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa channel, was injured in the left thigh in an Israeli airstrike on Block 2 of the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, on December 19, according to the London based pan Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat , Al-Araby TV , and Palestine TV . His colleague Islam Bader was injured in the same strike. A video posted by Al Jazeera shows the two journalists being treated in Jabalia medical center right after their injury. Another video posted by the local Palestine Post website shows Bader and Ahmed lying on the floor of the medical center frowning in pain.

December 16, 2023

Mohamed Balousha

Balousha, a reporter for the Emirati-owned Dubai-based Al Mashahd TV, was shot in the thigh while reporting on the war from northern Gaza on December 16, 2023. According to his outlet Al Mashhad , Al Jazeera , and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , the bullet was fired by an Israeli sniper. Balousha said in a video about his injury that he lost consciousness for about 30 minutes after “six hours of agony” and was roused by the nuzzling of cats he was feeding before the shooting. Al Mashhad said that Israeli forces intercepted the ambulances sent to evacuate him, delaying his transfer to a hospital for treatment. In late November, Balousha broke a story that four premature babies left behind at al-Nasr Children’s Hospital died and their bodies had decomposed after Israel forced the staff to evacuate without ambulances. Balousha accused Israel of directly targeting him. “I was wearing everything to prove that I was a journalist, but they deliberately targeted me, and now I am struggling to get the treatment necessary to preserve my life,” he told The Washington Post.

Wael Al Dahdouh

The Gaza bureau chief for Al Jazeera, Al Dahdouh was injured by a drone strike while covering the aftermath of nightly Israeli strikes on a UN school sheltering displaced people in the center of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to reports by their Al Jazeera , Middle East Eye , and Reuters . Dahdoh was hit with shrapnel in his hand and waist and treated at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. His colleague, camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed in the same strike.

Mustafa Alkharouf

Alkharouf, a photographer with the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency, was covering Friday prayers near Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on December 15 when a group of Israeli police and soldiers attacked him, according to Anadolu Agency , footage shared by The Union of Journalists in Israel, and the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA . Soldiers initially brandished their weapons at Alkharouf, punched him, and then threw him to the ground, kicking him. Alkharouf sustained severe blows, resulting in injuries to his face and body, and was transported by ambulance and treated at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem.

Mohammed El Sawwaf

Mohammed El Sawwaf , an award-winning Palestinian film producer and director who founded the Gaza-based Alef Multimedia production company, was injured in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Shawa Square in Gaza City. The airstrike killed 30 members of his family, including his mother and his father, Mostafa Al Sawaf, who was also a journalist, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , Anadolu Agency , and TRT Arabic .

Montaser El Sawaf

Montaser El Sawaf, a Palestinian freelance photographer contributing to Anadolu Agency, was injured in the same Israeli airstrike that injured his brother, Mohammed El Sawwaf and killed their parents and 28 other family members, according to the Anadolu Agency , the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate , and TRT Arabic .

Issam Mawassi

Al Jazeera videographer Mawassi was injured after two Israeli missiles struck near journalists in Yaroun in southern Lebanon covering clashes, which also resulted in damage to the journalists’ cars in the area, according to multiple media reports , some of which show the journalists live on air the minute the second missile hit the area. CPJ reached out to Mawassi via a messaging app but didn’t receive any response.

Thaer Al-Sudani Al-Sudani, a journalist for Reuters, was injured in the same attack that killed Abdallah near the border in southern Lebanon, Reuters said . Maher Nazeh Nazeh, a journalist for Reuters, was also injured in the same southern Lebanon attack. Elie Brakhya

Brakhya, an Al Jazeera TV staff member, was injured as well in the southern Lebanon shelling, Al Jazeera TV said . Carmen Joukhadar Joukhadar, an Al Jazeera TV reporter, was also wounded in the southern Lebanon attack. Christina Assi

Assi, a photographer for the French news agency Agence France-Press (AFP), was injured in that same attack on southern Lebanon, according to AFP and France 24 . Dylan Collins

Dylan Collins, a video journalist for AFP, was also injured in the southern Lebanon shelling .

Ibrahim Qanan

Qanan, a correspondent for Al-Ghad channel, was injured by shrapnel in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to MADA and JSC.

Nidal Al-Wahidi

Nidal Al-Wahidi , a cameraman and photographer in Gaza for the Nablus-based Palestinian broadcaster An-Najah Nbc Channel, went missing near the Erez crossing, known in Gaza as the Beit Hanoun crossing, while reporting on Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 according to news reports , the Palestinian press freedom organization MADA , and a video interview with his father, Suhail Al-Wahidi, on Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera Mubasher. 

Haitham Abdelwahid

Haitham Abdelwahid , a cameraman and video editor for Ain Media, a Gaza production company, went missing near the Erez crossing, known locally as the Beit Hanoun crossing, while reporting on Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to news reports , his employer , and the Palestinian press freedom organization MADA .

Clarifications and corrections:

CPJ has corrected the affiliation of Mohammed Bassam Al Jamal’s outlet, Palestine Now.

CPJ has removed a Palestinian man, Mohamed Khaireddine, from this list. Khaireddine was previously identified as a journalist, but his family later clarified that he was neither a journalist nor a media support worker.

CPJ has removed two Israeli journalists, Shai Regev and Ayelet Arnin, from this list after their outlets confirmed that the journalists were not on assignment to cover the music festival, nor did they have any opportunity to begin reporting on the attack by Hamas militants that killed them on October 7. CPJ’s global database of killed journalists includes only those who have been killed in connection with their work or where there is still some doubt that their death was work-related.

After receiving reports that Palestinian journalist and presenter Alaa Taher Al-Hassanat may have survived the attack thought to have killed her, CPJ has removed her name from its casualties list pending further investigation.

*CPJ’s research and documentation covers all journalists, defined as individuals involved in news-gathering activity. This definition covers those working for a broad range of publicly and privately funded news outlets, as well as freelancers. In the cases CPJ has documented, multiple sources have found no evidence to date that any journalist was engaged in militant activity.

This text has been updated to correct the spelling of Alma Al-Shaab in Issam Abdallah’s October 13, 2023 entry , and of the outlet Palestine TV in Abu Hatab’s November 2, 2023 entry.

On February 6, 2024, Canadian-Palestinian journalist Mansour Shouman was found alive after being reported missing more than two weeks before. We have removed him from our list of missing journalists.

According to CPJ’s research, Israeli journalist Oded Lifschitz wasn’t working when he was taken as a hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023. CPJ removed his name from the list of missing journalists after contacting the family.

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Shona Barrie – Director of Admissions, University of Stirling

UCAS asked admissions tutors – the people who read and score your personal statement – for their advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when writing your personal statement. 

The most common piece of advice was not to worry about it – and don’t be tempted to copy anyone else’s.

Read our step-by-step guide to writing your personal statement

Then follow our simple tips below.

• Do talk about why you’re a good candidate – talk about you, your motivations and what brings you to this course.
• Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
• Do make it relevant . Connect what you’re saying with the course and with your experiences.
• Do outline your ideas clearly .
• Do avoid the negatives – highlight the positives about you, and show you know your strengths.
• Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.
• Do ask people you trust for their feedback.
• Don’t be modest or shy . You want your passions to come across. 
• Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
• Don’t use quotes from someone else, or cliches.
• Don’t leave it to the last minute – your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.
• Don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement , but don't just rely on a spellchecker. Proofread as many times as possible.
• Don’t copy and paste – make yours original.
• Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or on social media or share your personal statement with anyone including your friends and family, unless asking for feedback from people you trust.
• Don’t worry about it – we have all the advice you need to help you stand out in your personal statement. 

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Ana ghaffari moghaddam – third year law student and careers coach, university of liverpool.

You’ve got this. Follow those simple steps and use your personal statement as your chance to shine .Use the below as a checklist to make sure you've avoided all common pitfalls.

Want more tips on what to include in your personal statement? Use the links below.

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