Mariam Dagga, a freelance visual journalist who documented the human toll of war in Gaza with unflinching clarity, was killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike on Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. She was 33.
Dagga had worked with the Associated Press and other outlets, producing searing images of life under bombardment: families forced from their homes, children treated for wounds and hunger, and mourners gathered at mass funerals. Health officials said she was among 20 people killed in the strike, including five journalists.
Julie Pace, the AP’s executive editor, said: “She worked under incredibly difficult circumstances to bring stories from Gaza to the world, particularly coverage of the war’s impact on children. We are devastated by her death and urgently seeking more clarity on the strike.”
Born in Khan Younis and trained at al-Aqsa University, Dagga began her career in 2015 and became one of the few women journalists regularly reporting from Gaza’s frontlines. Despite repeated displacement during the conflict, she continued working close to Nasser hospital, where many of her most striking images were taken.
Colleagues described her as fearless, principled and deeply committed to her community. She won recognition this year for coverage of Gaza’s malnourished children. “She was always ready,” said AP reporter Sarah El Deeb.
Dagga leaves behind a 13-year-old son living in the United Arab Emirates. In her will, she urged him to “never forget me and remember that your mother did everything she could to make you happy, comfortable, and at ease.”
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 189 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of the war, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers in modern history.
