KHAN YUNIS, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Palestinian journalist Muhammad Abdul Aziz al-Najjar was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Mawasi al Qarara area, north of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip. The attack is part of the ongoing Israeli assaults on civilians and media workers in the enclave.
Local sources reported that al-Najjar was struck by an Israeli drone in the Mawasi area, as Israeli occupation forces continued shelling and gunfire across Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement.
Al-Najjar worked with the Qur’an Radio station and was among the journalists who persisted in their mission under conditions of war, bombardment, and displacement, before being killed in the Israeli strike.
His death comes amid a continuing pattern of targeting Palestinian journalists in Gaza, where media workers have paid a heavy price while covering events and documenting conditions on the ground.
In Khan Yunis, local sources also reported several civilian injuries from Israeli shelling in the city and its surroundings, accompanied by gunfire from Israeli military vehicles toward eastern and southern areas. Other parts of Gaza likewise witnessed bombardment and shootings, resulting in more casualties among civilians and displaced persons.
The Mawasi area of Khan Yunis has repeatedly been attacked despite being overcrowded with displaced families who sought refuge there after successive waves of forced displacement.
With al-Najjar’s killing, the number of Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, has risen to 263, according to figures from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and Gaza’s Government Media Office.
This toll underscores the severe losses suffered by the Palestinian press sector during the war, as journalists continue working under bombardment, direct targeting, lack of protective equipment, and difficulty accessing devastated areas.
Al-Najjar’s martyrdom adds another name to the list of journalists who lost their lives while reporting or being present in areas struck by Israeli fire. Palestinian media institutions and unions continue to demand protection for journalists and accountability for those responsible for targeting them.
