Rizq Abu Shakyan

Their life

Rizq Abu Shakyan, a seasoned Palestinian journalist and editor, dedicated his life to documenting Gaza's untold stories until his tragic death on 6 July 2024, when an Israeli airstrike destroyed his home in Nuseirat refugee camp. Born and raised in Gaza's embattled central region, Abu Shakyan began his career during the Second Intifada, eventually rising to become a respected editor at the Palestine Media Agency, where he mentored young reporters and spearheaded investigations into civilian casualties. Known for his meticulous verification of war crimes, he was finalizing a damning report on attacks against medical workers when the strike hit, killing him instantly and burying his archives under rubble.

Rizq Abu Shakyan, a seasoned Palestinian journalist and editor, dedicated his life to documenting Gaza's untold stories until his tragic death on 6 July 2024, when an Israeli airstrike destroyed his home in Nuseirat refugee camp. Born and raised in Gaza's embattled central region, Abu Shakyan began his career during the Second Intifada, eventually rising to become a respected editor at the Palestine Media Agency, where he mentored young reporters and spearheaded investigations into civilian casualties. Known for his meticulous verification of war crimes, he was finalizing a damning report on attacks against medical workers when the strike hit, killing him instantly and burying his archives under rubble. Colleagues later recovered his last notes—scorched but legible—detailing Israel's use of heavy bombs in populated areas. Survived by his wife and four children, who narrowly escaped the blast, Abu Shakyan leaves behind a 26-year legacy of courageous journalism, including groundbreaking exposés on Gaza's water crisis and the targeting of press vehicles. His death, one of three journalist killings in Nuseirat that day, sparked international condemnation but no accountability, reflecting the deadly price of truth-telling in modern Gaza. Posthumously honored with Gaza's "Golden Pen" award, his unfinished work continues to fuel war crimes investigations, while his family fights to reclaim his confiscated manuscripts from Israeli military censorship.

How they died

Killed in Home Airstrike

A plea from the family

His widow, Mariam Abu Shakyan, told The Guardian: "They erased his press cards, his computers, even our family photos—but not the truth he spent his life uncovering." The family demands: ICC investigation into the strike. Return of his confiscated manuscripts by Israeli forces during rubble searches. Context: Nuseirat camp endured 14+ airstrikes that week alone. Abu Shakyan’s death underscores Israel’s systemic risks to journalists in Gaza.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources