Ibrahim Mohammad El-Gharbaoui
Ibrahim Mohammad El-Gharbaoui was killed by an Israeli airstrike while documenting the aftermath of bombing in his neighborhood of Hamad, Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Ibrahim was filming alongside his brother in the Hamad neighborhood when an Israeli missile struck the area. The attack came just after a drone was heard overhead. The explosion killed both brothers instantly, destroying their equipment and ending their first efforts as freelance reporters. The circumstances indicate a likely deliberate or reckless targeting of civilians engaged in media documentation.
Biography
Ibrahim Mohammad 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, Ibrahim and his brother Ayman ran a photography studio, capturing artistic and family portraits. However, following the onset of the war and widespread destruction, the brothers transformed their craft into a form of journalism, determined to show the world the suffering and resilience of their community. While documenting the aftermath of strikes in their neighborhood, they were both killed in another Israeli attack. Ibrahim’s death reflects the increasing dangers faced by Gaza’s independent journalists who continue to report despite the constant threat to their lives.
Ibrahim Mohammad El-Gharbaoui was a Palestinian photographer and one half of the Al-Gharbaoui brothers, who were known in their local community for their artistry and visual storytelling. Before October 2023, Ibrahim worked in a small studio in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Younis with his brother Ayman, specializing in creative, event, and wedding photography. The brothers’ studio became a symbol of hope and celebration in a region long plagued by hardship.
When the war began and Gaza’s information access became increasingly restricted, Ibrahim and Ayman decided to put their photographic talents to humanitarian and journalistic use. They began documenting destruction, displacement, and civilian suffering to ensure the stories of their people reached beyond Gaza’s borders. On April 27, 2024, while filming the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in their neighborhood, they were killed in another strike. Eyewitnesses and Mediapart reported that the sound of a reconnaissance drone was heard moments before the mi
Additional Information
Sources & References
Before the war, the al-Gharbawi brothers ran an artistic photography studio in Gaza. Faced with the growing number of journalists killed since October 7, and the media blackout imposed by Israeli forces in their neighborhood of Hamad in Khan Younes, Ayman and Ibrahim Mohamad al-Gharbawi decided to put their skills at the service of journalism. While filming the impact of strikes on their neighborhood on 27 April 2024, an Israeli strike killed them both, according to information gathered by RSF. The sound of a reconnaissance drone preceded the strike, according to Mediapart. It was one of their first reports from Gaza.1 rsf.org Open source
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the killing of photojournalists Ibrahim Mohamad Al-Gharbawi and Ayman Mohamad Al-Gharbawi in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, Palestine, on 26 April 2024.2 unesco.org Open source