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Hamza Murtaja

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Hamza Murtaja
حمزه عبد الرحمن مصطفى مرتجى
Born
Hamza Abdul Rahman Mustafa Murtaja

1991 (1991)
Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Died20 August 2024(2024-08-20) (aged 32–33)
Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Alma materIslamic University of Gaza
OccupationJournalist
ChildrenAbdel Rahman (by adoption), Omar Murtaja, Yasser Murtaja

Hamza Abdul Rahman Mustafa Murtaja (1991 – 20 August 2024) was a Palestinian freelance journalist. In 2024, he was killed by an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Mustafa Hafez School in Gaza City during the Gaza war.[1][2] He is the brother of Yaser Murtaja,[3] who was killed by Israeli forces in 2018.[4]

Background

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Hamza was born in 1991 in Gaza City. He attended the Islamic University of Gaza and majored in Social Work, where he graduated in 2014.[5] Hamza worked as both a photographer and a journalist for several media outlets.[6] Hamza was a co-founder of Ain Media productions, his brother's company.[7] He was also co-owner and camera operator for the privately owned Record Media production company.[8][9]

After the killing of his brother Yaser Murtaja by Israeli security forces during the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, Hamza married his brother's widow and adopted his son, Abdel Rahman.[10]

Hamza fathered two children before his death, Omar and Yasser, who was named after his brother.[11]

Death

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On 20 August 2024, Hamza was filming a TV report about the displaced people taking shelter in the Mustafa Hafez school in the al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City.[11][12] While filming the report, Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on the elementary school,[13][14] killing Hamza and eleven others in the school,[15] as well as injuring more than 15 people.[16]

Response and tributes

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In a press statement on Tuesday, the GMO (Government Media Office in Gaza) announced Hamza's death, and condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli deliberate targeting and killing of Palestinian journalists.[6][17]

The Israeli military claimed that that school where Hamza was killed was being used as a ''Hamas command-and-control center''.[16]

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned the killing and called for a full and transparent investigation.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war". The Guardian. 1 September 2025.
  2. ^ بشار الكلوب, ليلى (19 August 2025). "من هم أبرز الصحفيين الذين قُتلوا في حرب غزة منذ عام 2024؟". BBC.
  3. ^ "فلسطين: مقتل ما لا يقل عن 235 صحفياً وعاملا في مجال الإعلام في غزة". IFJ. 9 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Israel Kills at Least 2 More Journalists in Gaza: Ibrahim Muharab and Hamza Murtaja". Democracy Now!. 22 August 2024.
  5. ^ "انطلاق احتفالات تخريج الفوج الثالث والثلاثين في الجامعة الإسلامية بتخريج كوكبة من خريجي كلية الآداب". Islamic University of Gaza website - Faculty of Arts. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b "غزة استشهاد الصحفي حمزة مرتجى خلال قصف صهيوني على مدرسة للنازحين". İlke Haber Ajansı. 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ "الصحافي حمزة مرتجى يلحق بشقيقه المصوّر ياسر إثر قصف مدرسة غربي غزّة". An-Nahar. 20 August 2024.
  8. ^ "ISPT200824b". Airwars.
  9. ^ "ارتفاع عدد الشهداء الصحفيين إلى 170 منذ بدء الحرب على غزة". TRT Arabi. 20 August 2024.
  10. ^ "عام 2018 استشهد ياسر مرتجى تاركًا زوجته غادة وابنه عبدالرحمن بحسرتهما عليه.. فتزوجها أخوه حمزة وكان لعبدالرحمن أبًا حانيًا يعوضه عن فقد أبيه.. اليوم يرحل حمزة شهيدًا في مجزرة مدرسة مصطفى عبدالحافظ تاركًا الطفل عبدالرحمن وقد تجرع اليتم مرتين وتاركًا غادة في جنوب القطاع وقد وضعت طفلهما ياسر هناك.. رحل حمزة دون أن يرى طفله لأنه بقي في الشمال، ودون أن يحظى بعناق وداع أخير من أحبابه الملهوفين للقائه". Nabd. 20 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Hamza Murtaja". Committee to Protect Journalists. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  12. ^ "الصحافي حمزة مرتجى يلحق بشقيقه المصوّر ياسر إثر قصف مدرسة غربي غزّة". An-Nahar. 20 August 2024.
  13. ^ "محاربة الحقيقة.. 170 صحفي قتلهم الاحتلال في قطاع غزة منذ بداية حرب الإبادة". Quds News Network. 21 August 2024.
  14. ^ "قصف إسرائيلي على مدرسة مصطفى حافظ التي تؤوي نازحين غرب مدينة غزة". Al Jazeera. 20 August 2024.
  15. ^ M. Haboush, Mustafa M. (20 August 2024). ""حكومة غزة": ارتفاع عدد الشهداء الصحفيين إلى 170 منذ 7 أكتوبر". Anadolu Ajansi.
  16. ^ a b "Palestinian journalist among 12 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school". The New Arab. 20 August 2024.
  17. ^ كامل, مؤمن (20 August 2024). "ارتفاع عدد الشهداء الصحفيين إلى 170 منذ بدء الحرب على غزة". TRT Arabi.
  18. ^ O'Hagan, Clare (2 September 2024). "UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of journalist Hamza Murtaja in Palestine". UNESCO.Org. UNESCO. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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