Prominent Palestinian activist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by armed militia in Gaza City
Prominent Palestinian activist Saleh al-Jafarawi, who was known for documenting Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, was killed late on Sunday whilst reporting on armed hostilities in Gaza City.
The 28-year-old was shot multiple times in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City as he covered clashes between an Israel-backed entity and Hamas fighters.
Images shared online and seen by Middle East Eye showed Jafarawi's body moments after he was killed.
Al Jazeera reported that several displaced Palestinians were also killed during the clashes, and said that an "armed militia affiliated with the occupation [Israel]" was seeking to exploit the security vacuum in the city following Friday's historic announcement that Israel and Hamas had approved a deal to "end the war" and exchange prisoners.
"Every day is a new loss and a new goodbye, another sadness - even though the Israeli military has stopped this war but what is left from this army and the betrayal of some people," Mohamed Shahen, a Gaza-based journalist, said in reference to the Gaza gangs, as he shared a video of the lifeless body of the activist.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"May God have mercy on the hero Saleh al-Jafarawi, who was a pioneer in conveying the suffering and supporting the oppressed," he said.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Within Our Lifetime group said that Jafarawi was "murdered earlier today by zionist collaborators in Gaza after having a target on his back by the occupation for months."
The group shared an excerpt from what it said was Jafarawi's "last will and testament," in which he told his followers: "I urge you to hold fast to the resistance - to the path we walked, and the cause we believed in. We have known no other way for ourselves, nor found any meaning in life except by remaining steadfast upon it."
Late last month, Jafarawi warned that Israeli officials were threatening him by name.
"The Israeli occupation is undeniably threatening me," he said, adding that the Israeli army spokesperson and others in Hebrew media had singled him out, calling him a target.
Al-Jafarawi rose to prominence during the course of the war for using his social media platforms to share first-hand accounts of the devastation on the ground.
His killing comes as the current ceasefire in Gaza has held for a third day, ahead of an expected captive-prisoner exchange on Monday.
Sharm el-Sheikh summit
Dozens of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are expected to descend on the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to discuss the US president's proposal to end the genocidal war on Gaza.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has said he has been invited, however neither Israel or Hamas will have representatives at the talks.
Egypt's foreign ministry has said that during the "historic" gathering, a "document ending the war in the Gaza Strip" is set to be signed.
Under the deal, Hamas has until midday (9am GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli captives - including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.
In exchange, Israel has to to release 250 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as well as around 1,700 Palestinians who were abducted from Gaza during the past two years of war and held without charge.
Many of the details for the later phases, which would be negotiated after the successful completion of phase one, could be hard to reach agreement on - such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarming of Hamas.
Trump unveiled his controversial 20-point plan last week, which will see the creation of a "Board of Peace" that would have the US president as its head.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is widely discredited in the region due to his role in the invasion of Iraq and as a failed Middle East envoy for the Quartet from 2007 to 2015, will also serve on the committee.
During the genocide, more than 238,000 Palestinians were either killed or wounded by Israeli forces - whilst much of Gaza's infrastructure - including homes, schools, universities, mosques, churches, public spaces, and health centres - were reduced to rubble.
Recent reports, based on Israeli military intelligence data, indicated that more than 80 percent of those killed through to May of this year were civilians.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
