5:00 PM ET, December 1, 2023
Turkish News Agency: A Palestinian journalist was killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip
From CNN’s Karim Khader in Jerusalem and Ruba El-Hanawi in Atlanta
Anis Çinli/Anadolu News Agency
A freelance journalist working for the Turkish Anadolu news agency was killed in Gaza on Friday Israeli air strikes resumed After a week-long hiatus, Anadolu news agency reported to CNN.
Montaser Al-Sawaf was a freelance photographer based in the Gaza Strip, who had recently recovered from injuries sustained in another Israeli airstrike in November before the war began. Temporary truce Between Israel and Hamas.
Anis Kanli, director of Anadolu’s Jerusalem bureau, told CNN that Al-Sawaf lost his parents and other family members in an earlier airstrike.
He lost his father and brothers in a recent attack. He suffered severe injuries and bruises on his face, and one of his eyes was closed. We were afraid he would lose his eye. But he recovered quickly. “He wanted to stay in Gaza City and was traveling north during the IDF invasion,” Canley said.
The head of the office said that the journalist was seriously injured on Friday and had to wait for an ambulance for about half an hour before he was transferred to Ahli Baptist Hospital, where he later died.
Canley remembered Al-Sawaf as a quiet, courageous man, describing him as “a truly gentle soul. He was a quiet, hard-working person, always an overachiever, even if you didn’t ask him.”
He added that he left behind two young children.
“I spoke to him two or three days ago and he was the one motivating me. I was upset about everything, and he was the one trying to motivate me.”
According to Canli, Al-Sawaf wanted to stay in the city center, considering it a “personal case” to tell the world about the situation in Gaza and “not just a journalist.”
In one of his Latest posts on InstagramAl-Sawaf posted a picture of his bloodied and injured face, with one eye completely closed.
“Our house was hit by an airstrike, and more than 45 people died, including my mother, father, two brothers, and all their children,” he wrote. “I was injured in the face, and there are no doctors to treat me because I am in Gaza and there are none [functioning] Hospitals or doctors. We will continue our coverage despite everything.”
November Palestine TV correspondent Mohammad Abu Hattab He was killed along with 11 members of his family. Palestine TV said he was killed in an Israeli air strike, while Israeli authorities said their forces were not operating in the area.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”