Targeting journalists was already a practice as part of the Israeli information war long before the 2023-2024 Gaza War. Most notorious was the Israeli attack on the funeral of Al Jazeera's journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 14, 2022 after an Israeli sniper shot her in the head.

Even in Gaza, the killing of journalists is to have full control over information about what the Israelis have done and are doing in the enclave.