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October 06, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –
19-year-old freelance journalist Hassan Hamad was killed when an Israeli artillery strike hit his home in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. In the days before his death, Hamad had received explicit threats via WhatsApp from an individual posing as an Israeli officer, warning him to stop filming Israeli military actions or face deadly consequences—a chilling precursor to the strike that ended his life.
A freelance reporter whose footage had been featured by major outlets like Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, Hamad’s work focused on exposing the impacts of Israeli military operations in heavily bombarded areas of Gaza. His tragic death increased the number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to at least 175. Hamad’s death epitomizes the increasingly perilous conditions faced by Gaza’s media workers, especially those working without institutional protections in frontline zones.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay urgently condemned the killing, emphasizing that journalists are civilians under international humanitarian law and calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation”. His death also prompted strong responses from press freedom organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders, both of which denounced the threats and mounting civilian casualties among journalists in Gaza.
Hamad’s final moments reflect a broader outbreak of violence targeting press personnel. As foreign correspondents remain barred, local journalists like him have become Gaza’s primary chroniclers—despite facing the direst risks. His experience underscores the systematic threats: forewarnings, targeted strikes, and a lethal environment where documenting conflict is tantamount to accepting mortal danger.
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