People mourn freelance Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Wadi at Nasser hospital, killed by an Israeli strike on Dec. 2, 2025, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. (Source: Haseeb Alwazeer/Reuters)
Khan Younis: Thirty-two-year-old Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Wadi, known for his aerial documentation using drones, was killed in a targeted Israeli drone strike while working in central Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Wadi was attacked near the Bani Suhaila roundabout, right after he had launched a drone to capture footage of displacement camps and destruction in the area termed as ‘safe’ under the ceasefire agreement announced in October 2025.
Nasser Hospital’s medics confirmed his death, taking the total journalists killed after the truce to 20, highlighting the risks journalists are still facing amid the delicate truce.
Wadi’s colleagues and eyewitnesses present at the scene claimed that he was struck directly by the Israeli drone while he was operating from a considerably open area, away from the contested ‘yellow line.’
The yellow line is the buffer zone established after the ceasefire to divide the Palestinian-held zones from Israeli-controlled areas in southern Gaza.
Visuals of Wadi surrounded by his family, grieving over his body still covered in the Press vest, are being widely spread on the internet.
A close friend of Wadi said, “He was documenting the truth, not fighting,” recalling his last words, “I live this life for the sake of my child.”
Many of his colleagues described him as a kind, professional man with a “gentle heart and radiant presence.”
On Tuesday, December 2, the Government Media Office in Gaza announced that at least 257 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 2023.
His death has received an outpouring of condemnation. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and Gaza monitoring groups called it a “clear violation,” noting that the attack took place in a civilian-populated zone with no militant activity in the periphery.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reacted to Wadi’s death, stating, “No ceasefire declared, imagined or hoped for, can shield Palestinian journalists from Israel’s violence.”
“He captured love in the air,” a former client wrote on social media, sharing his celebratory aerial footage from before the war.
In April 2025, Israeli airstrikes resulted in his studio’s demolition, forcing him to report on the frontlines. However, he remained undeterred and instead used his skills with drones to film the rubble-strewn neighbourhoods, cratered streets, vast tent cities, and the resilience of displaced families across Gaza.
His friend, Mohammed Al Obeid, who also worked with him, said, “More than a photographer, he was a humanitarian worker.”
“He was known among the poor, and he dedicated his time to serving them.”
Wadi had often posted photos and videos with #GazaUnderFire, garnering thousands of views, with glimpses into the humanitarian crisis, which still had children striving to remain children, playing among the ruins.
He left behind a young child and wife, who, in their heartbroken eulogy, said, “The day began with joy but ended in heartbroken beyond words.”
This post was last modified on December 3, 2025 6:04 pm