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January 08, 2025 – Palestine/Israel –
Freelance Palestinian photojournalist Omar Salah Al-Derawi, aged 25, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck his family home in al-Zawaida, central Gaza. The attack also claimed the lives of his parents. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Al-Derawi’s death brings the number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 7, 2023, to 203, marking one of the deadliest conflicts for media professionals in modern history.
Al-Derawi worked with several international and regional news agencies, documenting the conflict on the ground despite the immense risks. He was reportedly wearing his press identification vest at the time of his death. Colleagues and press freedom organizations described him as a dedicated journalist committed to covering the human cost of the war, particularly in the Deir al-Balah region.
His killing has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom groups such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and ARTICLE 19. These organizations have reiterated that journalists are protected under international humanitarian law and called for urgent, independent investigations into his death and those of other journalists in Gaza. The IFJ emphasized that such strikes appear part of a broader pattern of media repression, where journalists are either targeted or killed in indiscriminate bombings.
Al-Derawi’s funeral, attended by fellow reporters and residents, became a moment of collective mourning and protest. His body, draped in a press vest, symbolized the peril faced by journalists trying to inform the world amid war. His death is a stark reminder of the critical—and often fatal—role that local journalists play when international media access is restricted.
As Gaza continues to face heavy bombardment, media workers like Al-Derawi remain among the few direct witnesses to the unfolding humanitarian crisis. His death deepens the crisis in press freedom and highlights the urgent need for international action to protect journalists and hold perpetrators accountable. Without such efforts, the truth itself becomes a casualty of war.
Reference –
https://www.newarab.com/news/gaza-photojournalist-killed-israeli-airstrike
https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/article/omar-al-derawi
