Ahmed Abu Aziz
Ahmed Abu Aziz was killed in an Israeli double airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on August 25, 2025, while reporting from the hospital grounds.
On August 25, 2025, Israeli forces carried out a two-stage “double-tap” strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. The first strike hit a building at the hospital, drawing journalists and medics rushing to the scene to help victims and document the aftermath. Fifteen minutes later, a second, more powerful strike hit the exact same location, killing five journalists, including Ahmed Abu Aziz. Witnesses reported that unarmed medics and reporters were clearly identifiable, with some holding up their hands moments before being killed. Israel later claimed it was targeting a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital’s roof. International media organizations and rights groups condemned the attack, stressing that it constituted a grave violation of international law and a possible war crime, as hospitals and journalists are both protected under the Geneva Conventions.
Biography
Ahmed Abu Aziz was a 29-year-old freelance journalist from Gaza who contributed to outlets including Middle East Eye and Quds Feed. Known for his tireless commitment to his profession, he was described by colleagues as “the journalist who never stopped,” frequently traveling across the Gaza Strip to cover the realities of war despite the immense dangers. His reporting often centered on hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where he bore witness to the humanitarian toll of Israel’s offensive. Married just a year before his death, he was deeply supportive of his wife’s academic ambitions, and together they dreamed of completing their PhDs side by side.
Ahmed Abu Aziz built a reputation as one of Gaza’s most resilient young journalists. At only 29, he had already established himself as a respected voice through his work with Middle East Eye and other platforms. His colleagues admired his bravery, noting that even under heavy bombardment he never ceased reporting, moving across the besieged strip to tell stories of suffering, survival, and resilience. Ahmed spent much of the war based at Nasser Hospital, which had become both a reporting hub and a refuge for many journalists and displaced families. Personally, Ahmed was newly married to Lurzan Abu Aziz, a 28-year-old PhD law student. He too was pursuing a PhD in media, and the couple dreamed of defending their theses together in 2025. Lurzan recalled his constant encouragement, his insistence that she continue her studies despite the hardship, and his vision of their future together. Tragically, those dreams ended when Ahmed was killed in the August 25, 2025 strike. His wife later found his body beneath the r
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
His wife, Lurzan Abu Aziz (28), who married him in July 2024, spoke with deep grief after his killing. She found his body after the Nasser Hospital strike and described how much he had supported her education and dreams.
Lurzan shared that Ahmed always encouraged her to continue her PhD in law, while he himself was pursuing a PhD in media. They had dreamed of defending their dissertations side by side in 2025. She said:
“His dream was for us to earn our doctorates together. He always urged me to defend my dissertation no matter what, and he encouraged me endlessly. We were supposed to defend our theses together this year, but he left and I am alone, grieving his loss.”
Colleagues at Middle East Eye also honored him as “the journalist who never stopped,” echoing the family’s grief with pleas for accountability and for greater protection of journalists in Gaza.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Ahmed Abu Aziz was a 29-year-old freelance journalist who worked for various outlets, such as Middle East Eye and Quds Feed. He was described as “the journalist who never stopped” by his colleagues at Middle East Eye, and was known for his bravery. He travelled across the Gaza Strip to get his story, despite the danger it posed. He based himself in Nasser hospital, where he covered the impact of Israel’s attacks on people across Gaza. Abu Aziz was acutely aware of the danger he was in as a journalist in Gaza. He lost two colleagues dear to him early on in the war, driving home how fragile his own safety was. Writing a first-person piece for Middle East Eye last year, he said his work often made him feel lonely, but he would persist. “It felt like I was all alone and the only one left on the ground as so many more of my colleagues were being killed,” Abu Aziz wrote. Abu Aziz married in July 2024. His wife, Lurzan Abu Aziz, who found his body after the strike, described how much he supported and encouraged her to further her education. She was studying for her PhD in law, and he a PhD in media. “His dream was for us to earn our doctorates together. He always urged me to defend my dissertation no matter what, and he encouraged me endlessly. We were supposed to defend our theses together this year, but he left and I am alone, grieving his loss,” said Lurzan, 28.1 theguardian.com Open source
Two strikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in quick succession, medical officials said. In videos, journalists and rescue workers can be seen rushing to the scene of the first one, before a massive explosion hits an exterior staircase where journalists are often stationed. In all, 20 people were killed, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s records department. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strike was a “tragic mishap” and that the military was investigating. “Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” his office said in a statement. The military, which said its troops carried out a strike in the area of Nasser Hospital, said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such.” Israeli media reported that Israeli troops fired two artillery shells at the hospital, targeting a Hamas surveillance camera on the roof. Reuters said that ahead of the first strike, it was showing a live video feed filmed from the hospital when the feed suddenly shut down. The journalist filming the live video was killed in the first strike, Reuters said, citing hospital officials. Video obtained by AP shows people climbing the external stairwell of the hospital just after the first strike — and then the thundering boom of the secondstrike.2 politico.com Open source
At least 20 people, including five journalists working for the international media, have been killed in an Israeli double strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry says. The journalists had worked with Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera and the Middle East Eye, the news outlets confirmed. Four health workers were also killed, the World Health Organization's chief said. Footage of the attack shows a second strike hitting rescuers who had arrived to help those targeted by the initial attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a "tragic mishap" and said military authorities were "conducting a thorough investigation".3 bbc.com Open source