Pleas of surviving relatives: The family of Rafiq Riyad Ghanem has expressed profound grief and outrage over his killing, emphasizing his innocence and the circumstances under which he was shot. His mother shared that Rafiq had merely stepped out of their home in shorts and a tank top, completely unarmed and unaware of the danger outside, when he was shot by Israeli soldiers. She insisted he was not involved in any protest or confrontation and was simply checking on the noise outside their home. Her account challenges any claim that Rafiq posed a threat, painting a picture of a young man killed without warning or justification. His uncle, Hani Ghanem, a former political prisoner who spent 18 years in Israeli prisons, stated that Rafiq had only walked out of the house to investigate a sound when Israeli undercover forces, positioned behind him, fired two live rounds into his body. Hani emphasized that Rafiq posed no threat and was shot in cold blood. He also reflected on the heavy price the family has paid over generations, describing a legacy of suffering under occupation — Rafiq’s brother Ayham was under Israeli interrogation at the time of the killing, his other brother Mohammad had been previously imprisoned,

Pleas of surviving relatives: Ismail’s mother, overcome with grief, was photographed kneeling and crying over his body outside Shifa Hospital. The image captured an anguished mother’s plea for an end to the killing of journalists in Gaza Colleagues and fellow artists mourned him across social media, emphasizing his role as a vital witness to Gaza’s suffering: “He was always the hopeful face in the middle of every tragic scene—a strong, kind-hearted, and hardworking photo‑journalist and director who just wanted to show the world the true picture of Gaza.”