Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, July 1, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa Café, a beachfront venue in western Gaza City, which killed 34-year-old Palestinian filmmaker and photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab and injured freelance journalist Bayan Abusultan on Monday, according to multiple news reports and an eyewitness photographer, who spoke with CPJ.
“Palestinian filmmaker Ismail Abu Hatab’s death in an Israeli strike on Al-Baqa Café is yet another grim reminder of the unfettered violence facing Gazan journalists, with more than 180 journalists and media workers killed in the war so far,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “The world must not ignore these deliberate assaults, and the targeting of the popular café must be independently investigated.”
Freelance photographer Majdi Fathi, who was in the area during the attack, told CPJ that an Israeli warplane struck the café around 2:48 p.m. He added that the café was popular gathering place for both journalists and local residents in Gaza due to its internet access.
The blast killed Abu Hatab, more than 20 other civilians inside, and injured Abusultan, who was struck by shrapnel in the chest and head Fathi said. Her condition is unknown.
Hatab, founder of the Clight TV production company, worked with a range of media outlets and organized photo exhibitions highlighting life in Gaza. On November 2, 2023, he was seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his office on the 16th floor of Al-Ghifari Tower in Gaza City.
Hatab’s death adds to a growing toll of at least 185 other killings, the vast majority of those Palestinian, documented by CPJ since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. In addition to those killed, 114 journalists have been reported injured.
CPJ emailed the Israeli Defense Forces’ North America Media Desk to ask whether the journalists were targeted but did not immediately receive a response.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.