On the morning of 7 October 2023, at the outset of the Hamas-led “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, 20 to 24-year old Palestinian photojournalist Ibrahim Mohammed Abdullah Lafi was reportedly shot and killed while covering clashes between Israeli forces and fighters from the Qassam Brigades near the Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Multiple local outlets, media freedom organizations and colleagues stated that he died while on assignment for the Gaza-based production company Ain Media, documenting the story of the crossing.

Most Palestinian sources explicitly attributed his death to Israeli forces. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) stated that Ibrahim was killed “by live bullets of the [Israeli] forces” while covering events along the border. A widely circulated obituary by Gaza journalist and producer Roshdi Sarraj described how “the Israelis ….. killed him”, mourning the loss of his “helper” and collegue. A post by Ain Media announced that the company was bidding farewell to one of its “knights”, confirming that Ibrahim had been killed while covering the latest events in the Gaza Strip. However, the CPJ’s database entry listed the suspected source of fire as “unknown” while in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, his colleague Yara Eid relayed accounts from other reporters on the ground who said that two missiles hit the street where Ibrahim was working near the Erez crossing. Taken together, the sources consistently agreed that he was killed in the line of duty as a clearly identified journalist, even if the precise weapon and firing unit remain unclear.

Ibrahim was repeatedly described as a young, ambitious and much-loved photographer. One memorial post on X referred to him as “an ambitious photojournalist who loved his profession… [who] dreamed of achieving international fame.” An obituary on Instagram by @ana_falastin stated that he was born in Rafah on 28 September 1999 and was 24 when he was killed. However, the Ministry of Health listed Ibrahim’s age as 20 years old while some other sources referred to him as being 22.

Friends, colleagues and relatives remembered his “beautiful smile” and “childlike laughter”, and may post from October 7th onward referred to him simply as “the polite and well-mannered photojournalist.” His classmates, cousins, uncles and aunts all shared condolences, and the extended Lafi family in Gaza and the diaspora issued a joint mourning notice for “the martyred hero Ibrahim Muhammad Lafi.”

Several sources shed light on his path into journalism. According to the @ana_falastin tribute, Ibrahim initially studied technical accounting at Israa University, but his passion led him into journalism and photography. He went on to work full-time for Ain Media, where colleagues said he was often the first to break news. In images shared by Ain Media and friends, Ibrahim appears operating a professional video camera and stabiliser, wearing headphones and a blue production-company sweatshirt, underlining his role as a working cameraman.

The social-media tributes also paint a vivid picture of his life beyond work. Multiple photographs show him cradling a long-haired black cat in his arms, or standing outdoors with the cat against a backdrop of earth banks and fencing, suggesting his affection for animals. Other images show him riding a rearing horse along the beach and posing in a winter coat with a fur-lined hood, reinforcing descriptions of him as someone who “loved life so much”, enjoyed going out, and took pride in his appearance. In an English-language letter shared by his brother and quoted by @ana_falastin, Ibrahim was remembered as someone for whom “the sea… was holy and there was nothing more pure and sweet than his soul.”

Ibrahim was also portrayed as a devoted uncle and family man. The @ana_falastin memorial highlighted his close relationship with his two nieces, Doaa and Salma. In one of the accompanying photographs, he holds a toddler girl close, her arms wrapped around his neck; another shows him gently supporting a baby in his arms. The text notes that Doaa, the elder niece, shared a strong bond with her uncle who often cared for her, while Salma was born only three months before he was killed and “will never get to know her uncle.”

Ibrahim’s name has been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the first ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on October 26, 2023.

All sources that identified a belligerent attributed the strike to Israeli forces.