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October 12, 2025 – Palestine –
Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was killed on Sunday while covering clashes in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. He was 28 years old. His death marks yet another devastating blow to Gaza’s press community, which has already lost hundreds of journalists since the war began in October 2023.
Aljafarawi was reported missing earlier in the day before footage emerged showing his body on the back of a truck, still wearing his press flak jacket. The circumstances of his death are tied to heavy armed confrontations that erupted in Sabra between Hamas security forces and fighters from the Doghmush clan. The Ministry of Interior in Gaza stated that the armed group involved was “affiliated with the [Israeli] occupation.”
Witnesses said that Aljafarawi was shot while reporting from the area. His killing highlights the extraordinary risks journalists continue to face in Gaza, where there are no safe zones and media workers are frequently caught in crossfire or directly targeted.
Saleh Aljafarawi was widely recognized for his on-the-ground coverage and video documentation of the war’s impact. In past interviews, he had spoken about the constant fear of death, describing how he lived “second to second” while trying to report the truth. His work made him one of the prominent young voices documenting the destruction and human toll inside Gaza.
Media rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the deaths of journalists in the enclave reflect a collapse of protections for press workers in conflict zones. Since the start of the war, more than 270 journalists and media workers have been killed, many while wearing clearly marked press gear.
His death has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger across Palestinian media circles and beyond. Advocacy groups have renewed their calls for accountability and international investigations into attacks on journalists.
Saleh Aljafarawi’s final act was the same as so many of his colleagues — standing in the line of fire to document events that might otherwise remain unseen. His legacy now stands as part of Gaza’s painful but unyielding record of press courage.
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