GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Saturday to bid farewell to journalist Obaida Murtaja, who was martyred in an Israeli drone strike targeting a group of civilians in the Italian area of al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City.
The funeral procession began at al-Shifa Medical Complex, where fellow journalists and media workers carried Murtaja’s body on their shoulders, accompanied by his family, relatives, friends and representatives of media organizations.
Mourners performed funeral prayers before laying him to rest at the Martyrs’ Cemetery.
Participants chanted slogans calling for the protection of journalists and accountability for Israel’s ongoing attacks against journalists and media workers.
Local sources had earlier reported that Murtaja was martyred and several other Palestinians wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a group of civilians in the Italian area of al-Nasr neighborhood in western Gaza City.
Murtaja’s martyrdom comes amid continuing Israeli attacks on Palestinian journalists in Gaza since the beginning of the war, which have left hundreds of media workers killed or wounded and resulted in the destruction of media institutions and offices.
On September 30, Gaza’s Government Media Office announced that the number of journalists killed by Israeli forces had risen to 263 following the martyrdom of Mohammed Abdul Aziz al-Najjar, a broadcaster with the Quran Radio station affiliated with the Ministry of Religious Endowments.
According to earlier figures released by the Office, more than 433 journalists and media workers have been wounded in direct attacks since the war began, while 50 journalists have been arrested, 23 of whom remain in detention. Three others are still missing.
The Office also reported that 32 families of journalists martyred during the war had been wiped out, while losses to Gaza’s media sector exceeded $800 million as attacks targeted journalists, media institutions, workplaces and equipment.
Palestinian casualties continue to mount amid Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, 2025.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the cumulative toll from these violations had reached 1,505 Palestinians martyred and 5,332 wounded as of Friday.
