Montaser Musallam
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.
Biography
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.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
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.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Death toll of Palestinian journalists in Gaza rises to 239 as another reporter killed in Israeli strike Local Gaza authorities say the Israeli military has killed another Palestinian journalist in the strip, bringing the death toll to 239 since the occupying Tel Aviv regime launched its all-out onslaught on the blockaded territory in early October 2023. A medical source stated that at least three Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City on Monday. Local Palestinian outlets reported that journalist Islam al-Koumi was among the victims. This comes as the remains of a journalist from Gaza were uncovered weeks after an Israeli strike claimed her life. Marwa Musallam was buried under the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City in July. Her cries for help went unanswered amid pleas to pressure Israel to allow rescuers to reach her. Musallam’s remains were discovered 45 days.1 nournews.ir Open source
Palestinian journalist Marwa Musallam was buried alive by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City as her cries for help went unanswered. Her remains were recovered 45 days later, one of nearly 270 journalists killed since the Israel’s war on Gaza began.2 aljazeera.com Open source
Her relatives discovered the fully decomposed bodies of Marwa and her two brothers Moataz and Montaser were found on August 16, 2025. On August 16, 2025, the fully decomposed bodies of journalist Marwa Musallam and her two brothers, Moataz and Montaser, were discovered. The siblings had been pronounced dead on August 1, 2025, after reports emerged of their bodies being found in the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, eastern Gaza City. However, in a statement published by media outlet Sahat on August 12, Marwa’s close friend, journalist Mariam Al-Dabla, and the Civil Defense spokesperson announced that th house was still inaccessible to Civil Defense crews. Mariam noted that a civilian had managed to reach the location earlier that month and retrieved two decomposed bodies, which were not yet identified at the time. The absence of a third body led to uncertainty about Marwa and her brothers' exact whereabouts.3 stopmurderingjournalists.com Open source