Freelance journalist Mahmoud Issa Abu Shirby, 34, was killed on June 25, 2025, in a drone strike near the house where his family had taken shelter in the port area of western Gaza City.
Abu Shirby had worked for the Qatari-funded broadcaster Al-Araby TV and Palestine Today before he was severely injured in an earlier Israeli airstrike on Gaza in September 12, 2024.
The attack led to the amputation of his left leg, fractures to his right leg, and loss of vision in his left eye, forcing him to stop working regularly, according to his brother Ahmed Issa Abu Shirby.
Despite his injuries, Mahmoud continued to post updates about the war on his Telegram channel, which had more than 90,000 followers, up to 15 minutes before his death.
On June 25th, “He went out as usual to sit in front of the house,” his brother told CPJ. “An Israeli drone fired a single missile directly at him around 9:45 a.m., killing him instantly.”
CPJ’s emailed the IDF’s North America Media Desk to request comment on Abu Shirby’s killing. In an exchange that followed, the IDF asked CPJ for the “coordinates and exact time” of the attack, which CPJ explained it could not provide. The IDF then said it could not fully address CPJ’s inquiry due to a lack of "necessary details."