Mohamed Adel Abu Skheil, a Palestinian media worker who was an editor and graphic designer for the local privately owned Shms News Agency, and the Hamas affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice Radio, was killed by Israeli bullets on March 28, 2024, when the Israeli army raided the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza City, northern Gaza, according to his outlet, the International Federation of Journalists, Al Jazeera, and the Palestinian Authority official news agency, WAFA.
His outlet said that Abu Skheil was killed inside the hospital after he took refuge in it following the destruction of his house in an Israeli airstrike at the beginning of the war.
Matar Al-Zaq, editor at Shams News Agency, told CPJ that Abu Skheil was highly dedicated and continued doing his job with excellence despite the difficult circumstances. "He worked tirelessly from morning until evening, showing his commitment to the importance of journalism," Al-Zaq said. Abu Skheil was known for his calm demeanor, professionalism, and popularity among his colleagues.
As the family received news of Abu Skheil’s execution, his cousin Ammar Salihiya wrote on Facebook, mourning both Abu Skheil and his other cousins , Mohamed El Sayed Abu Skheil and Tarek El Sayed Abu Skheil: "My cousins, the martyred heroes, have passed to God’s mercy. May God accept them, forgive them, and place them among those who rejoice in paradise."
CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces’ North America Media Desk in late September 2024, asking for comment on the killing of Abu Skheil. In an exchange that followed, the IDF asked CPJ for the journalists’ IDs and "relevant coordinates," which CPJ explained it could not provide due to research limitations. The IDF then said it could not fully address CPJ’s inquiry due to a lack of "sufficient details." The IDF said it takes "all operationally feasible measures" to prevent harm to journalists and other civilians, asserting that "many" on CPJ’s list were Hamas members and therefore lawful targets, but did not name the journalists or provide evidence they were Hamas fighters.