DayofPal– Palestinian journalist Hassan Hamad, just 19 years old, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his home in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, on Sunday.
Hamad had recently received threats from an Israeli officer, urging him to cease his coverage of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
For over a year, Hamad had been documenting the realities of Israel’s war in Gaza as a freelance TV reporter. His death has been confirmed by colleagues and the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza, which stated that the attack on his home was a deliberate move to silence him following the Israeli threats.
One chilling message he received on WhatsApp read: “Listen, If you continue spreading lies about Israel, we’ll come for you and your family will suffer. This is your last warning.”
Along with this message, he received multiple calls from the Israeli officer, underscoring the perilous conditions faced by journalists in the region.
With the tragic death of Hassan Hamad, the toll of Palestinian journalists killed since the onset of the Israeli genocide has risen to 175, as reported by GMO.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted that at least 128 journalists and media workers are among the more than 41,000 Palestinians who were killed since the start of the Israeli offensive on Gaza in October 2023.
“Hassan Hamad, the journalist who did not live past the age of 20, resisted for a full year in his own way. He resisted by staying away from his family so they wouldn’t be targeted. He resisted when he struggled to find an internet signal, sitting for an hour or two on the rooftop just to send the videos that reach you in seconds,” a post on Hamad’s X account posted by his colleague said.
A poignant message shared by a colleague on Hamad’s X account captured his final moments: “At 6 a.m. (03:00 GMT), he called me to send his last video. After a brief call, he said, ‘There they are, there they are, it’s done,’ and then hung up.”
The aftermath of the Israeli attack left Hamad’s body in pieces, requiring it to be collected in bags and boxes.
“This is what remains of his body,” wrote journalist Anas Al-Sharif, highlighting the harrowing reality faced by those who risk everything to tell the story.
According to his colleagues, this was not the only time Hamad received threats due to his work. He had also received phone calls and direct text messages from an Israeli officer ordering him to stop filming.
“He received the first message on 13 May. After that, he received multiple threats over the phone and text messages asking him to stop working,” said Ashraf Mashharawi, manager of Media Town Production Company, where Hamad worked.
“He refused to comply, believing he had done nothing wrong and was simply performing the normal role any journalist would. We advised him to reduce his work, but he completely refused. He said: ‘I won’t be intimidated by the threats. We are in the right and they are in the wrong,’” Mashharawi added.
“Although he was still young, I was astonished at how calmly he handled the message and insisted he would continue his work regardless.”
Just a few hours before his death, Hamad posted about surviving an Israeli drone attack in Jabalia.
“Thank God, my colleague, journalist Moamen Abu Awda and I survived the quadcopter shots in the vicinity of Al-Muqaid in the middle of Jabalia camp,” Hamad said.
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