The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that double Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza Strip today resulted in the martyrdom of at least 15 people, including four journalists. The continuous targeting of journalists in Gaza’s streets persists daily, with their offices and vehicles bombed, and their pens and cameras broken.

The names of the martyred journalists were identified as Hussam Al-Masri, a photographer working for Reuters; Muhammad Salama, a photojournalist for Al Jazeera; Maryam Abu Daqa (also known as Maryam Daqa), a journalist affiliated with several media outlets including the Associated Press; and Muath Abu Taha, a journalist working for NBC network.

The ministry reported two airstrikes, the first targeting the hospital’s fourth floor, followed by a second strike hitting the same location. Paramedics rushed to rescue the wounded and dead, closely followed by journalists documenting the events.

A video published by Al-Ghad News Agency showed civil defense men wearing bright orange vests and journalists being injured while trying to rescue Al-Masri’s body, who had been killed in a previous strike. Moments before their deaths, they raised their hands to protect themselves but were quickly hit.

Among them was Maryam Abu Daqa, who dedicated her career to conveying the tragedy in Gaza. After graduating from Al-Aqsa University, she worked tirelessly despite hunger, exhaustion, and the loss of several relatives and colleagues, including journalist Ibrahim Mahmoud, who accompanied her extensively in the field. She was a correspondent and photojournalist for Independent Arabia.

Known for her bravery and closeness to the people, she broadcast touching human stories about martyrs and wounded, showing tenderness to children amid the rubble. She left her only son, Ghaith, with relatives to protect him from the horrors of war, hoping to reunite after the ordeal.

In a previous video, she recounted the targeting of her family home, which held all her memories and was a building with six apartments, now reduced to just a key.

In an earlier video, she wished to cover Gaza without fear or targeting, like journalists in other countries who enjoy freedom and professional development.

On Sunday, she posted on social media about the genocide crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, saying: “When you see dust covering your most precious things, you realize how trivial life is.”

Two hours before her martyrdom, she posted a photo on her Facebook story, calling herself a paradise waiting for her and Ridwan to the tune of “Paradise is Waiting.” She had said before: “We are transient in this life, passing like a cloud, owning nothing but our deeds.”

With her death, the number of journalist martyrs in Gaza during the genocide since October 7, 2023, rises to 244, including correspondents, photographers, and editors working for local and international media. Others have been injured, some permanently disabled, and some arrested and subjected to torture and degrading treatment, a clear violation of international law. How long will this chain of crimes against Palestinian journalists continue?