Israel kills Palestinian journalist, mother Mariam Abu Daqqa

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ANKARA

Her life was far from ordinary, marked by extraordinary sacrifices. She donated her kidney to save her father from the suffering of an illness and sent her only son outside the Gaza Strip to protect him from the ongoing Israeli assault that has ravaged the enclave for 23 months. She was killed while performing her duty to report the truth.

She was Palestinian journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa, killed by Israel along with four other journalists on Aug. 25 while covering events inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The strike claimed the lives of 22 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A daughter’s sacrifice

Inside a tent where the displaced Abu Daqqa family now lives after their home was destroyed in earlier bombings, her father, Riyad Abu Daqqa, recounted how Mariam secretly underwent medical tests to donate her kidney when he suffered from renal failure.

“My daughter Mariam never thought of herself, she always thought of us,” he said tearfully. “When I was sick, she told me she had already done the tests and insisted on donating her kidney. I refused at first, but she said: your life is more important than mine. She saved me and gave me the greatest gift.”

“Today, part of her is in my body,” he added. “She is alive in my heart and in me.”

Devotion to journalism and family

Despite warnings about the dangers of journalism, Mariam pursued her dream of becoming a reporter. She later married and had one son, Ghaith, whom she adored and eventually sent to Abu Dhabi to ensure his safety and future.

Her sister Nada described her as “gentle, loved by everyone, and devoted to her work.”

She recalled how Mariam had rushed to document the aftermath of the first strike on Nasser Hospital. “She was smiling and waving before the second strike hit. Then she was gone.”

Nada said she eventually identified her sister among the victims by her white shoes, even though the explosion had erased her features.

“She left me her camera and phone,” Nada said. “They still carry her scent. Mariam longed for martyrdom, today she rests as a martyr.”

Press under fire

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israel has killed 246 journalists since Oct. 7, 2023. The attack on Nasser Hospital marked the second mass targeting of journalists in less than a month, after six reporters, including five from Al Jazeera, were killed on Aug. 10.

Israel later admitted striking Nasser Hospital but deflected responsibility by announcing yet another investigation, which rights groups say rarely leads to accountability.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed Israel “deeply regrets” the deaths but continued to justify its assault on Gaza.

Israel has killed at least 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.