Montaser Musallam

Their life

Montaser Musallam was a Palestinian civilian from Gaza City and the brother of journalist Marwa Musallam. He lived with his siblings in the Al-Shaaf area, eastern Gaza City, where their family home was struck during the Israeli war on Gaza. Montaser was among the many victims who perished under the rubble after airstrikes destroyed large parts of their neighborhood.

Montaser Musallam belonged to a family rooted in Gaza City, Palestine, and was the brother of journalist Marwa Musallam and Moataz Musallam. On July 5, 2025, the family lost contact with Montaser and his siblings after an Israeli airstrike hit a house near their home in the Al-Shaaf area, eastern Gaza City. For weeks, their whereabouts remained uncertain, with conflicting reports about whether they had survived. The situation gained wider attention on July 28, 2025, when a call was reportedly received from Marwa’s phone, raising hopes that the siblings were still alive. Their family and fellow journalists issued desperate pleas to international organizations to rescue them, but access to the area was denied by Israeli forces. After more than 40 days of uncertainty, on August 16, 2025, Montaser’s fully decomposed body was finally recovered from the rubble of the destroyed home, alongside the remains of Marwa and Moataz.

How they died

Montaser Musallam died after being trapped under rubble from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

Montaser Musallam lost his life following an Israeli airstrike that struck near the Musallam family home in the Al-Shaaf neighborhood of eastern Gaza City on July 5, 2025. The airstrike caused the collapse of the residence, leaving Montaser, his sister Marwa, and brother Moataz trapped beneath the rubble. Civil Defense teams were unable to access the site due to ongoing military activity, and appeals for rescue were repeatedly delayed. Montaser remained buried under the collapsed building until his remains were eventually discovered in a fully decomposed state on August 16, 2025, more than six weeks after the airstrike.

A plea from the family

After losing contact with Montaser, Marwa, and Moataz on July 5, 2025, their relatives launched urgent appeals for help. On July 28, one of Marwa’s brothers living in Russia reported receiving a call from her phone, raising hopes that the siblings might still be alive. This prompted the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate to organize a vigil on July 29 outside the Solidarity Media Center in Gaza City, calling for immediate rescue efforts. The family appealed to UNOCHA and the Red Cross to intervene, but the Red Cross stated they only evacuate living individuals, while UNOCHA said the Israeli military was delaying access. These appeals reflected the desperation of Montaser’s family, who pleaded for international pressure to rescue their loved ones before it was too late.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Montaser Musallam, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources