Gaza Strip: Palestinian journalist Walaa al-Jabari was tragically killed at dawn on Wednesday, July 23, when an Israeli airstrike targeted her home in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, southwest of Gaza City.
According to the Palestinian media reports, the attack also claimed the lives of her husband, four children, and her unborn baby.
Al-Jabari, a well-known voice in Palestinian media, had worked with several outlets, including the government-run Al-Rai Radio and other local radio stations. She also contributed written reports covering the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Known for her heartfelt reporting, her final words posted on Facebook shortly before her death have been widely shared online.
“We need food, we need vegetables, we need the natural food that people eat all over the world. We need vitamins and a decent life,” she wrote. “I’m not afraid of dying of hunger… I’m afraid of heartbreak if this insane war doesn’t stop.”
Her death comes just two days after another journalist, photojournalist Tamer Al-Za’anin, was shot dead by Israeli forces in Khan Yunis on Monday, July 21. He was covering the kidnapping of Dr Marwan at the time of his killing. Al-Za’anin had worked with various media organisations throughout his career.
According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, the number of Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli forces has now reached 231 since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been wounded and are unable to access medical treatment due to the ongoing blockade and closure of border crossings.
The Israeli occupation has been accused of systematically targeting Palestinian journalists, not only through direct attacks on media professionals but also by bombing residential buildings and family homes, leading to the death and injury of numerous media workers.
In response, the Government Media Office has called on international organisations—including the International Federation of Journalists, the Arab Journalists Union, and human rights bodies—to hold Israel accountable and take urgent action to protect journalists and press freedom in Gaza.
