A 29-year-old Palestinian journalist working for the Fourth Authority News Agency, Mohammed Tohami (Abdel al-Salam) al-Salhi, was killed on 7th October, 2023, in what sources claim was a targeted gunfire attack allegedly by the Israeli military east of Al-Bureji Refugee Camp.

According to Shireen Monitor, Mohammed was covering events on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip when the incident occurred. Sources shared a video in which his body was being carried – a large wound on his back and shoulders can be seen.

Mohammed was a photojournalist, respected by many according to condolence messages. A photo of him shared by sources shows Mohammed in his “Press” vest, holding a phone using a handheld tripod. According to a statement made by Justice For All, he was wearing a press helmet and flak jacket that clearly identified him as a member of the press at the time of the shooting.

He was remembered by many via social media posts. @Mohammed_alhu13 on X wrote, “I am saddened by your departure, O martyr of the word and the pen.The first Iraqi martyr in Palestine, the Gaza Strip. My colleague, photojournalist Mohammed Al-Salihi. Farewell, martyr of the free world. Farewell, you who carried the camera, transmitting the live image to convey the truth.” He had had a “passion” for journalism, and his dedication to “conveying the truth made him not shy away from risks and difficulties.”

Ihab Ncr on Facebook shared photos of Mohammed, including one where he is smiling into the camera, wearing a beige suit. Ihab spoke to the suddenness of Mohammed’s death: “I’m really shocked. How could someone I’ve been in touch with for a while pass away overnight?”

Some sources claim he was Iraqi and of the Bani Malik al-Bu Saleh [Salhi] clan, while others say he was Palestinian and from Al-Bureij camp. Rana Al-Sumaidaa Al-Ziyadi, in speaking to this confusion, wrote that “It turned out that the martyred photographer Mohammed Al-Salihi was Palestinian, not Iraqi, and from Al-Bureij camp. For your information, most of the names of Palestinian tribes are the same as the names of Iraqi tribes.”

The Boycott for Rights and Freedoms Association made a statement regarding his death and demanded the implementation of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Journalists.

Statements were also made by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Journalists Syndicate, and Justice For All also made a submission to the ICC, demanding accountability. In particular, the CPJ wrote, “Despite wearing a press helmet and flak jacket and clearly identifying as a member of the press, Al-Salhi was targeted and killed—an act that underscores the urgent need for accountability and measures to protect journalists.”

Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to the Israeli military.