Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui

Their life

Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui, a Palestinian freelance photojournalist, was killed on April 27, 2024, in an Israeli airstrike in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Before the war, Ayman co-ran an artistic photography studio with his brother, Ibrahim. As the conflict intensified and media access became restricted, Ayman transformed his work from art to journalism, determined to document the destruction and human suffering around him. While filming the aftermath of an airstrike, both brothers were killed in another Israeli strike that targeted their area. Ayman’s death highlights the peril faced by local journalists in Gaza who risk their lives to bring visibility to the war’s toll.

Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui was a talented Palestinian photographer from the Hamad district of Khan Younis, Gaza. Alongside his brother Ibrahim, he managed a small photography studio, specializing in artistic and wedding photography. Their studio was a creative refuge amid Gaza’s economic hardships, capturing joyful moments for families and couples. However, after October 2023, as Israeli bombardments devastated neighborhoods and media access became increasingly limited, Ayman and Ibrahim decided to repurpose their cameras for journalism. They began documenting the human and structural toll of the conflict, determined to share the truth with the world despite the risks.

On April 27, 2024, while filming the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in their neighborhood, a drone was heard overhead moments before another missile struck, killing both brothers instantly. Reports from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Mediapart confirmed that they were among many journalists killed while reporting in Gaza. Their story i

How they died

Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui was killed by an Israeli airstrike while documenting the aftermath of bombings in his neighborhood of Hamad, Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Ayman was filming the damage caused by earlier Israeli strikes in the Hamad neighborhood when a reconnaissance drone was heard overhead. Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike directly hit the area, killing Ayman and his brother. The nature of the strike and timing suggest that the journalists were deliberately or recklessly targeted despite being engaged in civilian media work.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources