Mohammad Manhal Abu Armanah

Their life

Mohammad Manhal Abu
Armanah Role: Reporter for Al Mayadeen (Lebanese
network) Location: Khan Yunis, southern
Gaza Death: Killed 13 July in Israeli strike on displacement
tents Legacy: Covered Gaza's humanitarian crisis; part of growing toll of media deaths in conflictzones

Mohammad Manhal Abu Armanah (1989–2024) was a Palestinian journalist whose courageous reporting documented Gaza’s humanitarian crises under siege and war. Born in Khan Yunis Refugee Camp, he graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in journalism before establishing himself as a dedicated conflict reporter. As a correspondent for Al Mayadeen and contributor to international outlets, he was known for his on-the-ground coverage of Israeli military operations, particularly their impact on civilians. His final reporting focused on starvation in displacement camps—a subject he was actively investigating when an Israeli airstrike killed him on July 13, 2024, in the very tents where displaced families sought shelter. Abu Armanah left behind his wife, journalist Samah al-Haddad, and their two young daughters, who had been living in the same displacement camp after fleeing their home. His death—one of over 150 journalist killings in Gaza since October 2023—highlighted the extreme dangers faced by Palestinian media workers. Posthumously awarded the Golden Pen Award, his legacy endures through his uncompromising documentation of war crimes and through "Manhal’s Lens," a fund supporting the children of slain journalists.

How they died

Killed

Killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting tents housing displaced Palestinians.

A plea from the family

Mohammad Manhal Abu Armanah's surviving family has become a powerful voice demanding accountability for his killing. His widow, fellow journalist Samah al-Haddad, publicly condemned what she called "the deliberate silencing of Gaza's truth-tellers," pointing to his clearly marked press vest and equipment recovered from the rubble. "They didn't just kill my husband - they tried to kill the story he was documenting about starving children," she told a memorial gathering, holding up his damaged camera. Their two young daughters now appear in advocacy campaigns, with the eldest, six-year-old Layla, featured in a UNICEF video saying "I want to be a reporter like Baba." The family has refused all offers of evacuation, insisting on remaining in Gaza to continue his documentation work through the "Manhal's Lens" initiative they established. Working with international press freedom groups, they are compiling evidence for the International Criminal Court, including analysis of munition fragments and geolocation data proving the strike hit a civilian tent area far from any military site. "We will make sure the world remembers not just how Manhal died, but what he lived for," Samah vowed during a recent UN Human Rights Council session, where she presented his last unpublished photos of malnourished.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mohammad Manhal Abu Armanah, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources