On Monday, June 30, Israeli warplanes deliberately struck Al-Baqa beachfront rest area and cafe while it was crowded with civilians in Gaza city, killing at least 33 people, including a journalist, and wounding 50 others.
Palestinian photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, footballer Mustafa Abu Amira, activist Omar Zeino, and visual artist Frans al-Salmi were identified among the fatalities.
According to a statement issued by Gaza’s Government Media Office, Abu Hatab worked for several media outlets and held many photo exhibitions outside of Palestine, where he regularly exposed the catastrophic situation in the besieged enclave.
Bayan Abu Sultan an icon of steadfastness
Meanwhile, journalist Bayan Abu Sultan miraculously survived the beach massacre despite sustaining injuries. Footage of Bayan standing firmly with blood covering her face circulated online promptly after the massacre took place.
A few hours later, Palestinian photographer Issam Rimawi posted a video of Bayan, showing her smiling and being taken care of by several women, in what was widely perceived as a demonstration of steadfastness against the Israeli occupation.
The young female journalist has been known for her resilience and courage during the ongoing brutal war. On March 19, 2024, Bayan posted on X: “Israeli forces just murdered my only brother in front of my eyes.”
On March 27, 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sounded the alarm on Bayan’s potential disappearance. She had last been seen on the day her brother was murdered and was thought to have been detained by the IOF during a raid on Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
That same day, Palestinian activist and journalist, Ahmed El-Madhoun, reassured RSF in a post that Bayan was not missing and that she was fine. He explained that she was stuck in her house near Al-Shifa Hospital with several neighbors, without enough food. El-Madhoun added that Bayan buried her brother in the backyard of her house, and that he had called for help in evacuating her and the other neighbors.
Two days later, Bayan wrote a reassuring message on X: “I survived.”
Death toll of Palestinian journalists in Gaza rises to 228
Gaza’s Government Media Office announced on Monday that the assassination of Ismail Abu Hatab raised the death toll of Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since the beginning of its genocidal aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023 to 228.
