A Palestinian journalist and recipient of the Sobh Media Festival award killed in Gaza just hours prior to the implementation of the ceasefire
Israeli forces reportedly killed Palestinian journalist Ahmed Abu al-Rous shortly before a ceasefire agreement was declared in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
A journalist and four others, including his brother Mohamed, were killed on Wednesday as a result of an Israeli airstrike targeting their vehicle at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Journalist Abu al-Rous was reporting on the intensifying conflict in Gaza when the fatal incident took place.
The recent killing raises the total number of Palestinian journalists killed during Israel’s offensive in Gaza to at least 206.
Abu al-Rous emerged as the recipient of the “Palestine Special: Citizen Journalist Award” during the second annual Sobh International Media Festival.
Ahmad Noroozi, head of the World Service at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), announced on the social media platform X that the Sobh Festival had the distinguished honor of awarding its citizen journalism prize to a martyr.
The journalist had prepared a recorded message, instructing his colleague to release it in the event of his untimely demise.
In a pre-recorded video message, Abu al-Rous expressed his sense of calm, relief, and satisfaction with his contributions to Gaza, stating, “I am at ease. Relieved. Happy for everything I have done for Gaza.”
Qatar, acting as an intermediary, announced on Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas have reached an agreement to a ceasefire. This development marks a halt in the 15-month-long military operations in Gaza.
The ceasefire is anticipated to be implemented starting January 19, structured into three distinct phases, with each phase spanning a duration of 42 days.
In the initial phase of the agreement, approximately 1,000 Palestinian detainees, among them individuals serving long-term sentences, will be released in exchange for 33 Israeli captives currently held in Gaza.
In a recent statement, Hamas characterized the ceasefire declaration as “a result of the extraordinary resilience demonstrated by the Palestinian people and their resistance efforts in Gaza.”
On October 7, 2023, Israel initiated a significant military offensive in Gaza following a notable operation by Hamas. This move comes as a response to what Hamas described as Israel’s escalating actions against the Palestinian populace.
Since the beginning of hostilities, the occupying forces have reportedly caused the deaths of at least 46,707 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, while injuring 110,265 more in the besieged territory.
