Ayman Mohamed El-Gharbaoui
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.
Biography
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
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.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