Moaz Abu Taha
Moaz Abu Taha was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on August 25, 2025, while reporting on the aftermath of an earlier strike.
On August 25, 2025, Israeli forces launched two strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. After the first strike, journalists, including Moaz, rushed to the scene to cover the destruction and casualties, gathering on the hospital’s exterior stairwell. Moments later, a second strike hit the same area, killing Moaz along with fellow journalists Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Dagga, Mohammed Salama, and Ahmad Abu Aziz. The Israeli military later claimed the attack was aimed at a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital roof, but media organizations condemned the incident as a violation of international law, emphasizing that the journalists were clearly identifiable and engaged in their professional duties.
Biography
Moaz Abu Taha was a Palestinian freelance journalist and filmmaker who occasionally contributed to Reuters and other outlets. Passionate about telling the stories of Gaza through both still and moving images, he dedicated his work to documenting the daily struggles and resilience of people under siege. His career combined reporting with visual storytelling, often focusing on humanitarian crises and the lives of ordinary Palestinians caught in conflict.
Moaz Abu Taha grew up and worked in Gaza, where access to the outside world was limited and international media largely relied on local journalists for coverage. He was known among his peers for his creativity and determination, blending journalistic reporting with documentary filmmaking. Moaz contributed freelance work to Reuters and other outlets, producing content that reached global audiences. Like many of his colleagues, he lived under constant threat of displacement and bombardment, yet continued to bear witness to the war through his camera and pen. His work reflected a strong sense of duty to his community, giving voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Friends and fellow journalists described him as a dedicated professional whose death underscored the extreme dangers faced by Palestinian media workers.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Moaz Abu Taha was a 27-year-old freelance video journalist whose work had been published by Reuters, among other outlets. Journalism had not been Abu Taha’s original career, but he felt compelled to begin filming during the Gaza war and soon found a passion in photography and video journalism. He could not afford a proper camera, so he filmed and photographed with his phone. Over the last five months, as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsened and hunger began to spread throughout the strip, his family said Abu Taha began to work as a humanitarian. He focused on specific cases through his video reports, sending urgent appeals for sick children and the wounded who needed aid.1 theguardian.com Open source
“We are doing everything we can to keep our journalists in Gaza safe as they continue to provide crucial eyewitness reporting in difficult and dangerous conditions,” the AP said. Two strikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in quick succession, medical officials said. In videos, journalists and rescue workers can be seen rushing to the scene of the first one, before a massive explosion hits an exterior staircase where journalists are often stationed. In all, 20 people were killed, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s records department. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strike was a “tragic mishap” and that the military was investigating. “Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” his office said in a statement.2 politico.com Open source
The latest deaths brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza since the start of the war there in October 2023 to nearly 200. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a leading body which promotes press freedom, the war in Gaza has been the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented. It says more press members have been killed there in the past two years than were killed worldwide in the prior three years. International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war. Some journalists have been taken into Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under controlled access, but international media outlets rely on local reporters for much of their coverage in Gaza.3 bbc.com Open source