Saleh al-Jafarawi was born inGaza City in theGaza Strip, on 22 November 1997. He attended theIslamic University of Gaza, where he received a bachelor's degree in media and journalism in 2019. He began producing content around 2018 on theGreat March of Return, during which he covered the situation on the group as a freelance journalist for local media outlets.[9] He also worked independently as a freelance photographer and journalist on social media platforms. His reporting style often involved documenting civilian suffering and destruction during Israeli military operations in Gaza.[10][11][12]
Prior to his journalism role, Al-Jafarawi was atable tennis player and represented Palestine in international table competitions, including theWTT Feeder inDoha, Qatar in 2023.[13]
Career
Al-Jafarawi became well-known during theGaza war, when his videos from the conflict zones went viral on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. He amassed a large following, and his content was widely shared.[11][12][14]
In November 2023, pro-Israel influencers falsely claimed that al-Jafarawi had faked a scene of being hospitalized and labelled the video as "Pallywood."Voice of America reported that a video alleging to show Jafarawi faking hospitalization was in fact a misidentification.[15]
In March 2025, al-Jafarawi'sInstagram account was suspended "indefinitely", forcing him to use a backup account.[16]
In late September 2025, al-Jafarawi's followers raised alarm after theIsrael Defense Forces Arabic-language spokespersonAvichay Adraee alleged that al-Jafarawi was affiliated with Hamas. His followers feared that, like other Palestinian journalists in Gaza accused of associations with Hamas, al-Jafarawi could be targeted in the near future. They drew comparison to the journalistAnas al-Sharif, who was targeted and killed in Gaza by Israel with similar allegations.[17]
Death
On 12 October 2025, al-Jafarawi was shot and killed byDoghmush clan members amidclashes with Hamas inSabra,Gaza City.[a][3][18] Palestinian sources have indicated that there were confrontations in Hasher Sabra involving Hamas security personnel and members of the Daghmush tribe; however, local authorities have yet to verify this information.[3]
After his death,Instagram removed al-Jafarawi's account which had 4.5 million followers at the time of his death as well as its digital archives from theWayback Machine.[19] According toMeta, they justified the erasure of al-Jafarawi's account under its policy on "dangerous organizations and individuals." A label they[who?] allege has repeatedly been used to purge pro-Palestinian journalists and activists from its platforms.[20][21]
.png)
