South Koreans Rally in Seoul to Condemn Israel’s Targeted Killing of Journalists in Gaza
August 30, 2025
Filmmakers and Activists Demand Justice with Massive Palestine Protest at Venice Film Festival
August 30, 2025
August 30, 2025 – Palestine –
In a poignant display of unity and grief, Israeli and Palestinian activists gathered in Nazareth on August 30, 2025, bearing blue-and-white “Press” insignia stickers. The demonstrators, including those directly impacted by the conflict, marched for peace and justice in Gaza, urging protection for journalists and echoing their demand with banners reading “Don’t assassinate the truth.” Empty pots were banged during the protest to symbolize the hunger ravaging Gaza. This dramatic public expression of solidarity was sparked by the death of 33-year-old freelance photojournalist Mariam Dagga, killed along with four other media workers in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Dagga’s father, Riyad, mourned in Gaza, while her sister Nada described their final exchanged glance before the fatal explosion; her brother Mohamed recounted painfully retrieving her body moments after the strike.
The hospital attack, now known for its “double-tap” nature—initial strike followed by a second hit targeting rescuers and media personnel—also claimed the lives of journalists from Reuters, Al Jazeera, and other outlets. The Israeli military stated the actual target was a Hamas surveillance camera and called it a “tragic mishap,” while investigators remain stalled.
Mariam Dagga was widely admired for her courageous and compassionate visual storytelling. Based at the hospital amid intense conflict, she captured vivid and unvarnished scenes of malnourished children, grieving families, and medical workers amidst chaos. Her work had earned recognition with an internal Associated Press award for covering famine and its human toll. Colleagues and media watchdogs alike mourned her death, decrying the loss of a vital voice in independent reporting and a symbol of journalistic sacrifice.
This protest in Nazareth, uniting people across communities and lines of conflict, underscored a shared demand: that journalism should never be criminalized, especially amid war. As families mourn and defenders of the press hold the line, the call for truth and accountability continues — demanding that no more lives, and no more voices, be lost in the curse of conflict.
Reference –
