Salam Mema

Their life

Salam Mema, 32, was a Palestinian journalist from Jabaliya, northern Gaza. She was killed on 10 October 2023 when her home was struck by an Israeli air strike. Salam had been reporting on the Israel-Hamas conflict and was one of 31 journalists confirmed killed in the conflict by 31 October. She is survived by her five-year-old son Ali, after the tragic loss of her husband and two other children.

Salam Mema, aged 32, was a dedicated Palestinian journalist based in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. Throughout her career, she worked to document the realities of life under conflict, striving to inform the public about events in the region. On 10 October 2023, Salam’s house was hit by an Israeli air strike, killing her, her husband, their two-year-old daughter Sham, their seven-year-old son Hadi, and other family members. Only their five-year-old son Ali survived the attack. Salam’s death highlights the severe risks faced by journalists reporting from Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict. By 31 October, she was counted among 31 journalists confirmed killed on both sides since the escalation of hostilities began, reflecting the profound human cost of the conflict.

How they died

Salam Mema was killed by an Israeli air strike on 10 October 2023.

On 10 October 2023, Salam Mema died when her home in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, was struck by an Israeli air strike during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The attack killed her along with her husband and two of her children, leaving only their five-year-old son Ali as a survivor. Salam’s death underscores the dangers faced by civilians and journalists in Gaza, as well as the tragic toll of the ongoing military escalation on families and media workers in the region.

A plea from the family

Salam Mema’s surviving son, Ali, aged five, became the sole survivor of the air strike that killed his mother, father, and siblings. Her relatives and friends mourned the loss of Salam and her family, emphasizing the immense tragedy of losing multiple loved ones in a single strike. Those who survived have expressed grief and called for recognition of the suffering of civilians in Gaza, urging the international community to ensure the protection of innocent families and journalists in conflict zones.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources