Marwa Musallam

Local Gaza authorities say the Israeli military has killed another Palestinian journalist in the strip, bringing the death toll to 239 since the occupying Tel Aviv regime launched its all-out onslaught on the blockaded territory in early October 2023. A medical source stated that at least three Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City on Monday. Local Palestinian outlets reported that journalist Islam al-Koumi was among the victims. This comes as the remains of a journalist from Gaza were uncovered weeks after an Israeli strike claimed her life. Marwa Musallam was buried under the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City in July. Her cries for help went unanswered amid pleas to pressure Israel to allow rescuers to reach her. Musallam’s remains were discovered 45 days later. Meanwhile, the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) has requested suggestions from reporters, editors, and rights specialists to investigate innovative methods for safeguarding Palestinian journalists in Gaza. In a recently introduced feature, the CRJ has advocated for a courageous, innovative strategy aimed at protecting reporters on the ground, who are confronted with assassinations and smear campaigns due to the deterioration of legal and institutional safeguards. The proposals included sanctions against Israeli officials, media strikes, coordinated blackouts, and charges of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. “Journalists in Western newsrooms could strike. They could refuse to work until some sort of substantive demand for a policy change at these institutions is fulfilled,” Drop Site News’s Sharif Abdel Kouddous said.

Palestinian reporter’s remains discovered, weeks after her killing Palestinian journalist Marwa Musallam was buried alive by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City as her cries for help went unanswered. Her remains were recovered 45 days later, one of nearly 270 journalists killed since the Israel’s war on Gaza began.

Her relatives discovered the fully decomposed bodies of Marwa and her two brothers Moataz and Montaser were found on August 16, 2025. On August 16, 2025, the fully decomposed bodies of journalist Marwa Musallam and her two brothers, Moataz and Montaser, were discovered. The siblings had been pronounced dead on August 1, 2025, after reports emerged of their bodies being found in the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, eastern Gaza City. However, in a statement published by media outlet Sahat on August 12, Marwa’s close friend, journalist Mariam Al-Dabla, and the Civil Defense spokesperson announced that th house was still inaccessible to Civil Defense crews. Mariam noted that a civilian had managed to reach the location earlier that month and retrieved two decomposed bodies, which were not yet identified at the time. The absence of a third body led to uncertainty about Marwa and her brothers' exact whereabouts. Contact with Marwa and her brothers was lost on July 5, 2025, following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house adjacent to theirs in Al-Shaaf area, eastern Gaza City. The siblings were presumed dead until July 28, 2025 when one of her brothers living in Russia confirmed receiving a call from Marwa's phone number. In response, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate organized a vigil on July 29, 2025, outside the Solidarity Media Center in Gaza City, calling for her rescue. The syndicate also appealed to UNOCHA and the Red Cross, which responded by saying that the IDF was delaying its response, while other international NGOs stated they only evacuate living individuals.