'Killed while telling the story': Who are Palestinian journalists Yahya Subaih and Nour al-Din Abdo?

As Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza continues to kill daily, two more names have been added to the growing list of Palestinian journalists killed by Israel while reporting on the war. They are: Yahya Subaih and Nour al-Din Abdo. 

Their deaths not only mark personal tragedies but also reflect the extreme dangers faced by media professionals operating in one of the world's most perilous conflict zones.

According to Gaza's Government Media Office, the Israeli army has killed at least 214 Palestinian journalists since 7 October 2023. 

The deaths of Subaih and Abdo—both young and dedicated reporters—sparked renewed calls from Palestinian media unions for international protection and accountability.

A father for two hours: The life and death of Yahya Subaih

Yahya Subaih, 30, was widely known among journalists in Gaza for his tenacity and deep empathy. He worked as a reporter and photographer for the local Palestine Post Agency, where he often focused on documenting civilian suffering, particularly among children and displaced families.

Colleagues remember him as a calm but courageous man who moved quickly toward the scenes others hesitated to approach. 

"He would always remind us that our job was to be the voice of the voiceless," Yousuf Fares, a Gaza-based Palestinian journalist, told The New Arab. 

Just two hours before his death on Wednesday, Subaih became a father. He had eagerly awaited the birth of his daughter, Amira. 

"It was the happiest moment of his life," Mohammed Subaih, his cousin, said to TNA. "He held her once and left to find food and milk for her."

Shortly after, Israeli warplanes targeted a restaurant and a busy public market in Gaza City's Al-Rimal neighbourhood. 

The airstrike killed 33 Palestinians, including Subaih, according to the Gaza-based health ministry.

Amira, Subaih's newborn baby, was left orphaned hours after her birth; his wife is in shock. 

"He died while trying to protect his family. His last words were about his daughter," Osama al-Ashi, a Gaza-based Palestinian journalist, said. 

In one of his final posts on social media, published on World Press Freedom Day, Subaih wrote: "Don't ask us to be neutral between the victim and the executioner."

Palestinian journalists have widely circulated his statement.

Subaih had studied journalism at Al-Aqsa University and began his media career during the 2014 war in Gaza. He had worked with several local outlets before settling with the Palestine Post. 

In recent years, he has become known for his mobile reporting style. He often goes live from heavily bombed areas using just a smartphone and a power bank. 

His close friend, journalist Alaa Salama, remarked to TNA. "He didn't wait for the story to come to him; he chased it into the rubble."

Courage behind the lens: Nour al-Din Abdo's final assignment

On the same day, journalist Nour al-Din Abdo, 24, was also killed while covering an Israeli massacre at Al-Karama School in Gaza City's al-Tuffah neighbourhood. The bombing killed 17 other civilians who had taken shelter in the school, according to the Gaza-based health ministry. 

In Gaza's journalism community, Abdo was known for his commitment to frontline coverage. With a camera always around his neck, he moved between emergency rooms, refugee shelters, and bombed-out buildings to capture the human cost of war.

"He wasn't just a photographer; he was a storyteller," said Abdul Hakim Abu Riash, another cameraman who worked with Abdo. 

"He believed images could shake the world's conscience. He took photos that made even the most painful realities impossible to ignore," Abu Riash noted to TNA. 

Abdo began his career as a freelancer before joining a local news agency in 2018. He quickly rose to prominence through powerful photo essays that captured the faces of displaced children, the resilience of families under siege, and the work of rescue teams pulling survivors from rubble.

He was also known for mentoring younger photographers in Gaza, encouraging them to use their lenses to "document history."

One of his colleagues, 22-year-old Rami Qudeh, said, "He taught me that our camera is not just a tool; it's a form of resistance."

On the day he died, Abdo had posted several photos from a shelter in Al-Tuffah. In one image, a young boy clutched a bag of bread with dirt-streaked hands. "This is Gaza's breakfast today," he wrote.

Moments later, he rushed to Al-Karama School after hearing about an Israeli attack there. According to his colleagues, Abdo was among the first to arrive. 

"We tried to warn him that the area wasn't safe, but he said, 'If I don't go, who will?'" said his cousin, Mohammed Abdo.

He died minutes after photographing the massacre. His camera was found near his body, the lens cracked, but the memory card intact. His last photos are now part of an online exhibition by fellow journalists.

Journalism: A daily act of defiance

Both Subaih and Abdo knew the risks. Journalists in Gaza have increasingly become direct targets, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. 

Tahseen al-Astal, the deputy head of the syndicate, told TNA, "Israel is committing systematic crimes against journalists. It is not enough to express concern, but the world must act."

He said that many journalists continue their work without protective equipment, with no safety guarantees. 

"Media offices have been destroyed. Families of journalists have been killed. Despite this, our colleagues keep working not because they are fearless, but because they believe the world must see what is happening here."

According to the Gaza-based government media office, 409 journalists have been wounded and at least 48 arrested since the beginning of the war. Many of those killed were not on assignment, but were targeted in their homes, while others were hit while wearing press vests clearly marked in both English and Arabic.

Mohammed Odwan, a Gaza-based Palestinian journalist, summed up the collective feeling of Gaza's journalism community. He told TNA that "We don't know if we'll survive this genocide, but we leave our wills with our families. Our stories won’t die with us."
Echoes beyond the headlines

The deaths of Subaih and Abdo leave a lasting void, not only for their families, but for the broader media community and for Palestinians trying to get their voices heard outside the Strip. Their stories of love, fatherhood, dedication, and loss are now part of Gaza's long, painful chronicle.

They were not merely casualties, but witnesses who stayed until the end. In Gaza, journalism is not a profession but an act of resistance, a commitment to truth amid destruction.