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Saleh al-Jafarawi

Palestinian journalist, media personality and content creator (1997–2025)
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Saleh al-Jafarawi
Native name صالح الجعفراوي
Born 22 November 1997(1997-11-22)
Gaza City
Died 12 October 2025(2025-10-12) (aged 27)
Sabra, Gaza
Alma mater Islamic University of Gaza
Occupation Journalist, social media personality, singer
Years active 2019–2025

Saleh Al-Jafarawi (22 November 1997 – 12 October 2025) was a Palestinian citizen journalist, social media influencer, and singer from Gaza City. He became widely known during the 2023–2025 Gaza war for reporting from frontline areas, documenting civilian casualties, and sharing videos that reached millions of viewers across social media platforms. He was shot and killed on 12 October 2025 during armed clashes in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.[1]

Early life and education

Saleh al-Jafarawi was born in Gaza City in the Gaza Strip on 22 November 1997. He grew up in the Al-Shati refugee camp, an area frequently affected by armed conflict. He attended the Islamic University of Gaza, where he studied media and journalism, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 2019.[2]

As a university student, Al-Jafarawi was active in student media clubs and local youth initiatives. He was also an amateur table tennis player and represented his university in a local tournament in 2023.[3]

Career

Early reporting

Al-Jafarawi began his media work as a volunteer and freelance journalist in 2018 during the Great March of Return, where he documented mass protests along the Israel–Gaza border. His early videos and live reports on Facebook and Instagram highlighted civilian injuries and the impact of military operations on daily life in Gaza.[4]

His reporting style was informal but direct, often filming himself at the scene of airstrikes or destruction. Unlike established media outlets, Al-Jafarawi built his audience through personal commentary and on-the-ground footage posted within minutes of incidents occurring.

Rise to prominence

During the 2023–2025 Gaza war, Al-Jafarawi became one of the most followed Palestinian citizen journalists. His Instagram account grew to hundreds of thousands of followers. Several of his videos were viewed over 50 million times.[5]

In November 2023, a video falsely attributed to him circulated online, claiming he staged an injury. The footage was later debunked by Voice of America, which clarified that the individual in the video was a child, not Al-Jafarawi.[6]

Accusations and media restrictions

In March 2025, Meta Platforms suspended his main Instagram account, citing violations of content policies related to violent imagery.[7] He continued to post from backup accounts.

In September 2025, Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, accused him of being affiliated with Hamas. Human rights groups and journalists warned that this public accusation could place him at greater risk.[8]

Death

On 12 October 2025, Al-Jafarawi was shot and killed during armed clashes in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.[1] According to local reports, the incident involved members of the Doghmush clan and armed forces loyal to Hamas. A Gaza Interior Ministry official described the assailants as "an armed militia associated with the [Israeli] occupiers," though this has not been independently verified.[9]

His death occurred shortly after a ceasefire was declared between Hamas and Israel.[10] Thousands of Palestinians attended his funeral, which took place in Gaza City on 13 October 2025. His killing drew condemnation from local and international press freedom organisations, who described it as part of the broader targeting of journalists in Gaza.

Legacy

Al-Jafarawi is remembered among young Gazans as one of the most prominent citizen journalists of the Gaza war period. His live streams were often used by international outlets and NGOs to verify on-the-ground events. Media researchers have cited his online presence as an example of how independent reporting in conflict zones can challenge state narratives.[11]

His videos remain widely circulated online and are often used in reports documenting alleged war crimes and civilian casualties in Gaza. Human rights advocates have called for an independent investigation into his death.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi shot dead in Gaza City clashes" (in en). 2025-10-13. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/12/palestinian-journalist-saleh-aljafarawi-shot-dead-in-gaza-city-clashes. 
  2. ↑ "صالح الجعفراوي.. ناشط وثق حرب الإبادة الإسرائيلية في غزة" (in ar). 2025-10-13. https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2025/10/13/%d8%b5%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%8a-%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%b7-%d9%88%d8%ab%d9%82-%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a9. 
  3. ↑ "لاعب منتخب الجامعة الإسلامية يشارك في بطولة العالم لتنس الطاولة – الجامعة الإسلامية بغزة" (in ar). 2023-02-04. https://www.iugaza.edu.ps/p27209/. 
  4. ↑ "بينهم صالح الجعفراوي.. الاحتلال يحرّض على ناشطين فلسطينيين" (in ar). 2024-04-03. https://www.alaraby.com/news/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86. 
  5. ↑ ""ينشر جرائم الاحتلال".. من هو صالح الجعفراوي الذي أزعج إسرائيل؟ | التلفزيون العربي" (in ar). 2023-11-16. https://www.alaraby.com/news/%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%B2%D8%B9%D8%AC-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84. 
  6. ↑ "Propaganda Campaigners Use 'Pallywood' Label to Accuse Palestinians of Staging Civilian Casualties" (in en). 2023-11-02. https://www.voanews.com/a/fact-check-propaganda-campaigners-use-pallywood-label-to-accuse-palestinians-of-staging-civilian-casualties/7339287.html. 
  7. ↑ "Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi's Instagram 'suspended indefinitely'". 2025-03-09. https://www.newarab.com/news/palestinian-journalist-saleh-aljafarawis-instagram-suspended. 
  8. ↑ "'They're painting a target': Gaza influencer followers raise alarm after IDF's allegations" (in en). https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2025-09-22/ty-article/.premium/theyre-painting-a-target-gaza-influencer-followers-raise-alarm-after-idfs-allegations/00000199-7054-db6e-a5d9-f67c73d30000. 
  9. ↑ "Prominent Palestinian activist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by armed militia in Gaza City". 2025-10-12. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saleh-al-jafarawi-prominent-Palestinian-activist-killed-militia-gaza-city. 
  10. ↑ "Israel-Backed Militias Kill Well-Known Palestinian Journalist 'Saleh alJafarawi' Amid Ceasefire 13 October 2025 - 08:04". https://en.abna24.com/news/1737979/Israel-Backed-Militias-Kill-Well-Known-Palestinian-Journalist. 
  11. ↑ "Citizen Journalism in War: The Case of Saleh Al-Jafarawi". https://www.mediareview.org/article/2025/10/14/saleh-aljafarawi-citizen-journalism. 

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