Gaza Today: Possible Hostage Exchange Underway After Ceasefire, But Another Young Journalist Murdered
Gaza: On October 12, 2025, Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was killed by an Israeli-backed militia group in the Sabra area during clashes in Gaza City, amid a ceasefire agreement. Aljafarawi had gained popularity on social media by documenting the humanitarian toll of the war.
According to reports, clashes broke out between Israeli-backed militias and Hamas gunmen in Sabra on Sunday. The 28-year-old journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was surrounded and shot seven times.
Despite the recent ceasefire, local officials have repeatedly warned that the security situation in Gaza remains challenging. Aljafarawi's death comes as the current ceasefire in Gaza enters its third day, with clashes and tensions continuing ahead of a possible hostage-prisoner exchange.
Aljafarawi was one of the young Palestinian journalists and social media influencers who used this platform to document the destruction and human loss of the war that lasted two years before the US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
In January, several days before the temporary ceasefire began, he told Al Jazeera, "This war will forever be etched in my memory. The scenes and circumstances I witnessed during these 467 days will never be erased from my memory. We will never forget the conditions we faced."
Aljafarawi had revealed that he had received numerous threats from Israel because of his work. He said, "To be honest, I was living in fear every moment, especially after hearing what the Israeli occupation was saying about me. I was living life moment to moment, not knowing what the next moment would bring."
Saleh Aljafarawi was a ranked table tennis player. He loved to sing and composed songs before and during the genocide. He had memorized all 600 pages of the Quran and loved Islam and God. He was a YouTuber who began his journey on YouTube in 2020, where he created video blogs of his life, added his songs, and showcased the beauty of Gaza.
Saleh's name in Arabic means "virtuous" and "righteous." What a noble and righteous man this world has lost. He awakened millions to the ugliness of the Palestinian ethnic cleansing, and the greed and evil that permeate our world.
More than 270 media workers have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli war began in October 2023.
