Around 2:50 pm, an Israeli airstrike targeted the car of renowned journalist Hossam Shabat in Beit Lahia.

He was killed on the spot along with another person.

His close colleague Anas Al-Sharif reported that Hossam was expecting his family, displaced in southern Gaza, to return to the north and start arrangements for his marriage.

Hossam's last message and will:

“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.

By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months . I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.

I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”

Tribute by journalist Jeremy Scahill, from Drop Site:

*"Time now is measured not in minutes, but in lifetimes of pain and tears. With every passing moment the anxiety and tension of the people here grows, as they wonder whether they will stay alive long enough for the fire to cease," wrote Hossam Shabat in one of his stories for us.

People see Palestinian journalists reporting the horrors of the genocide against their own families and people. But they are so much more than the videos broadcast on social media. Hossam was a lyrical, poetic, somehow optimistic, human being with remarkable courage & dedication. Israel publicly put Hossam on a kill list and he would receive threatening calls and warnings. He saw his friends murdered. Yet he never ceased his journalism, his absolute dedication to showing the world the reality of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.

Tribute by journalist Imad Zakout:

Hossam Shabat is a name that has shone on Al Jazeera Mubasher and social media. His work began at the Indonesian Hospital at the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip. I noticed his constant activity in covering the crimes of the occupation and his continuous growth in journalistic coverage. Hossam became an influential journalist and a prominent figure in northern Gaza. He not only covered events but also initiated charitable initiatives to support his people. We will definitely miss you, Hossam. Despite the short period of time you worked, you left behind a great media legacy that people will remember you for and will be an archive for future generations. May God have mercy on you, Hossam

Names of the martyrs:

1. Hossam Shabat (journalist)
2. Muhamamd Ibrahim Al-Dahnoun Al-Masri