Ismail Abu Hatab
Abu Hatab was killed instantly when a missile hit the crowded café—known as a gathering place for journalists, artists, and residents—generating a massive blast with flying shrapnel, collapsing structures, and a deep crater at the site
On June 30, 2025, during an Israeli airstrike targeting Al‑Baqa Café—a well-known seaside venue in Gaza City frequented by artists, journalists, students, and families—Ismail was killed by a missile strike. He died instantly from the blast’s impact.
Biography
Ismail Abu Hatab (1993–2025) was a Palestinian photojournalist and filmmaker, born and raised in Gaza City. A graduate of the University College of Applied Sciences, he became known for his committed frontline coverage of the Gaza conflict, working with international media outlets such as BBC, DW, and CARE International. He founded C‑light and co-created ByPa, a platform and online marketplace devoted to amplifying Palestinian artists and storytellers.
Ismail began his journey in photography and filmmaking in the early 2000s, capturing daily life under siege in Gaza. By 2008, he had already started freelancing, and in the years that followed he worked with international organizations and news outlets, earning a reputation for his evocative visual storytelling. In November 2023, while filming from al-Ghafari Tower, he sustained serious injuries that affected him for months. Undeterred, he returned to work and mounted exhibitions abroad, including the acclaimed "Between Sky and Sea" in Los Angeles and a showcase at Chicago’s Haymarket House—and even planned future shows in France. Through ByPa, he supported fellow Palestinian creatives, showcasing their art via an Etsy storefront. Colleagues remember him as a hopeful, resilient artist dedicated to illuminating both the hardships and humanity of Gaza.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
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.”
Additional Information
Sources & References
Al-Baqa Cafe, located along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, was a popular gathering spot for journalists, activists, students, and remote workers seeking internet access and a place to charge their devices. It was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Monday morning. Among the victims was 33-year-old Abu Hatab, known for curating photo exhibitions abroad that documented the horrors of life in Gaza, including “Between the Sky and the Sea,” an immersive photography show recently displayed in Los Angeles. Frans Alsalmi, a digital artist from Gaza, was also among the casualties. Meanwhile, prominent Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was among dozens injured in the strike.1 arabnews.com Open source
On 30 June 2025, photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, 34, was at the al-Baqa cafe, a Gaza City seafront venue popular with journalists, when an Israeli airstrike turned it into a scene of carnage. Hatab, who ran the broadcast media production company C Light, was one of the 34 fatalities, according to an initial toll. Dozens were also injured. It was the Internet connection, in the middle of a Gaza Strip increasingly cut off from the world, that drew media professionals to the modest, corrugated-iron café. Hatab had previously been injured on 2 November 2023 in an Israeli strike targeting the tower housing the offices of Agence France-Presse in Gaza. He was on the 16th floor of the building, in the offices of Palestine Media Group (PMG), a broadcast media production company.2 rsf.org Open source