dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

Maryam Abu Daqqa was my friend. She was a photojournalist, and a mother. On Monday, she was killed by the Israeli army in a “double tap” attack on Nasser Hospital, along with four other journalists. She was 32 years old.

I first met Maryam in 2015 during a photography course at the Italian center in Gaza City, where she was one of the trainees. I was drawn to her energy. I remember thinking how quickly she spoke, as if she had more ideas than time to express them.

She came from Abasan, east of Khan Younis, an agricultural town famous for its fruits and vegetables, and its delicious cuisine. Whenever I reported on farming there, I knew I could turn to her. She was always ready to help, and her photos of the village and its people never failed to inspire me.

At first, I didn’t know that Maryam was a mother. One day before the war, while I was working in Abasan, I heard a boy call out to her: “Mom.” I was surprised. She laughed and introduced me to her son. “This is Ghaith,” she said proudly. “He is my man, and he will protect me when he grows up.” She told me all of her work was for him.

Since the war began, I had seen Maryam many times in the field. We always greeted each other and made sure we were both okay, but we didn’t speak much. We were always tired and stressed.

I remember meeting her during Israel’s May 2024 offensive on Rafah. My cameraman was forced to flee north to Deir al-Balah, leaving me to film alone on my phone. Maryam appeared in the ICU at the European hospital, where I was interviewing an American doctor. Seeing me struggle with my camera, she immediately helped me adjust the settings and offered a few tips. She looked exhausted, and could hardly walk. It was a side of her I wasn’t used to seeing.

Before she left, I hugged her and asked her to be careful. I was scared for her; I knew she had been working in the dangerous eastern areas of Khan Younis only weeks earlier. The last time I saw her was in April, at Nasser Hospital — the very place where, months later, she would be killed by the Israeli army.

On the day Maryam was killed along with 19 others in the attack on the hospital, I was nearby with my family in Khan Younis refugee camp. A deafening blast shook the ground. My mother suggested it might have been a house that was hit, but when I finally found an internet signal and checked the news, the truth became clear. The grief and disbelief were overwhelming.

I thought of her son, Ghaith, the boy she once called her protector, whom she cared for so much. I thought of her father, to whom she had donated a kidney to save his life. I thought of my friend; bold, adventurous, always caring for others.

In the past month alone, Israel has killed a total of ten journalists. Among them was Maryam, a photojournalist, a mother, and my friend.

http://972mag.com/

>>23512730

: BOUNTY-SEEKERS WITH THE QUANTUM-BANKING-SYSTEM-BRANCH-LAUNCH.

: Russell-Jay: Gould.

https://youtu.be/6-rXXHK3d4A