Islam Maqdad

Their life

Islam Maqdad was a 29-year-old Palestinian journalist and mother from Gaza. She was tragically killed on April 6, 2025, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted her home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The attack also claimed the life of her young son, Adam, and resulted in the deaths of five other family members.
Prior to her death, Islam had been separated from her daughter, Zina, who was receiving medical treatment in Tunisia after suffering a life-threatening head injury in an earlier Israeli bombing. Islam had been longing to reunite with Zina but tragically never got the chance. Her final Instagram post expressed her deep yearning to hold her daughter again.

Islam Maqdad was a 29-year-old Palestinian journalist and mother from Gaza. She was tragically killed on April 6, 2025, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted her home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The attack also claimed the life of her young son, Adam, and resulted in the deaths of five other family members.
Prior to her death, Islam had been separated from her daughter, Zina, who was receiving medical treatment in Tunisia after suffering a life-threatening head injury in an earlier Israeli bombing. Islam had been longing to reunite with Zina but tragically never got the chance. Her final Instagram post expressed her deep yearning to hold her daughter again.
The Israeli military's airstrike on the Abdel Hadi family's residence resulted in the deaths of Islam Maqdad, her son, and five other family members. The bombing led to the collapse of the building, trapping the victims under the rubble. Rescue operations were conducted, and the bodies were later recovered. ​

The attack on Islam Maqdad and her family has drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations and human rights groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other entities have called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of journalists in Gaza. ​

Islam Maqdad's death underscores the perilous conditions faced by journalists in conflict zones and the urgent need for measures to protect media workers.

How they died

Killed by Israeli airstrike

she was killed in an Israeli strike.

A plea from the family

There have been no direct public pleas from Islam Maqdad’s surviving family members after her death in the Israeli airstrike on April 6, 2025, which claimed her life, along with that of her young son and five other family members. However, the tragic nature of her death, especially as a journalist and mother, has sparked widespread international outrage and condemnation. Key Details: Islam’s daughter, Zina, was receiving medical treatment in Tunisia at the time of her mother’s death. Islam had expressed in a heartfelt post her deep longing to reunite with Zina, who had suffered a head injury from a prior Israeli attack. Tragically, Islam never had the chance to be reunited with her daughter before her own life was taken. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other international human rights organizations have strongly condemned the attack, calling for accountability and an independent investigation into the killing of journalists like Islam Maqdad. While surviving family members have not made any public pleas yet, the attack on Islam and her family has galvanized calls for stronger protection of journalists working in conflict zones and a halt to attacks on civilians.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources