Qais Abdo Ahmed al-Naqeeb
Killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting the 26 September and Yemen Newspaper offices in Sanaa.
Qais Abdo Ahmed al-Naqeeb died when multiple Israeli missiles struck the Moral Guidance Directorate building in central Sanaa, completely destroying the 26 September and Yemen Newspaper offices. The strikes occurred around 4:45 p.m., while staff were preparing the weekly edition. The explosions leveled the structure and killed 31 media professionals. The IDF later claimed the building was a “Houthi Public Relations Department,” but journalists’ organizations rejected that characterization, asserting that the attack constituted a grave violation of press protections under international law.
Biography
Qais Abdo Ahmed al-Naqeeb was a Yemeni journalist who worked for both the 26 September and Yemen newspapers in Sanaa. Devoted to his work and to honest reporting, he was among 31 journalists and media workers killed on September 10, 2025, when Israeli airstrikes destroyed the Moral Guidance Directorate building that housed the two publications. The coordinated strikes were described by 26 September editor-in-chief Nasser al-Khadri as an “unprecedented massacre of journalists.” Al-Naqeeb’s death highlighted the extraordinary dangers faced by reporters in Yemen and became part of one of the deadliest single-day attacks on media personnel since the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
Qais Abdo Ahmed al-Naqeeb was a Yemeni journalist employed by 26 September Newspaper, the official publication of the Yemeni army, and Yemen Newspaper, another state-affiliated outlet. He contributed to the coverage of national and defense-related developments and was respected for his diligence and calm professionalism. Colleagues recalled that he often stayed late in the newsroom, ensuring accuracy in each edition despite the immense challenges of working under wartime conditions.
On September 10, 2025, while staff were finalizing that week’s issue at around 4:45 p.m., a series of Israeli airstrikes struck the Moral Guidance Directorate complex in Sanaa, where both papers were based. Witnesses, including nearby journalist Abdulrahman Mohammed Mutahar, described “massive explosions unlike anything Sanaa had seen since 2015,” noting that roughly eight missiles hit the site in succession. The building collapsed entirely, trapping reporters and production staff beneath the rubble.
The Israel Defense Forces (I
Additional Information
Sources & References
Killed by Israeli attacks. The deadliest massacre of journalists since the Maguindanao massacre.1 en.wikipedia.org Open source
Qais Abdo Ahmed al-Naqeeb, a Yemeni journalist who worked for the 26 September and Yemen newspapers, was killed during Israel’s targeted airstrikes on the offices of the two publications in the capital, Sanaa. The September 10 attacks killed 31 journalists and media support workers. Nasser al-Khadri, editor-in-chief of 26 September, described the incident as an “unprecedented massacre of journalists.” He said multiple strikes hit the newsroom around 4:45 p.m. as staff were finalizing publication of the weekly paper, which serves as the official outlet of the Yemeni army. Abdulrahman Mohammed Mutahar, a journalist living 500 meters from the site, told CPJ the attack caused “massive explosions unlike anything Sanaa had seen since 2015,” referring to the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on the city in 2015. He said about eight missiles reduced the Moral Guidance Directorate headquarters — where the newspapers’ offices were located — to rubble, leaving some journalists’ bodies buried underneath. On September 10, the Israel Defense Forces said on the social platform X that it had struck “military targets” in Sanaa and northern Al-Jawf governorate, including the “Houthi Public Relations Department,” which it said distributed “psychological terror.” In a September 18 email to CPJ, the IDF’s Foreign Media Desk said the “terrorist regime’s Public Relations Department is responsible for distributing and disseminating propaganda messages in the media, including speeches by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik and statements from spokesman Yahya Saree.”2 cpj.org Open source