News- Middle East: Armed Israel-backed gangs have killed a prominent Palestinian journalist and social media personality in southern Gaza City as a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel takes effect, aimed at ending the regime’s war of genocide on the Strip.

Saleh al-Ja'frawi was killed alongside several others by outlaw gangs affiliated with the Daghmash family in the al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City on Sunday while reporting in the area.

Ja'frawi was a supporter of the resistance and the steadfast voice of Gaza who covered the Israeli regime’s genocidal war for 735 days.

He survived occupation bombs and enemy propaganda only to be martyred by the bullets of criminal agents being recruited to serve the Israeli regime’s interests.

The journalist was kidnapped and executed in cold blood by the Daghmash militia, gangs unleashed by the occupation to sow chaos, silence the truth, and intimidate those returning home following the implementation of the US-proposed ceasefire agreement.

These collaborators attack the living and the dead, assault journalists, beat citizens, and steal equipment in broad daylight at a time when Gaza bleeds from two years of genocide and ethnic cleansing. 

A political analyst from Gaza tweeted on Saturday that Israel was trying to provoke a civil war in Gaza through its proxy criminal gangs.

Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote that Israel is encouraging these gangs, some of which are affiliated with Daesh (ISIL), to clash with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and stoke chaos. 

A militia commander told Israel’s Kan News on Sunday that most of these militia gangs have now moved about 400 meters beyond the so-called yellow line, preventing anyone from entering the area.

However, Palestinian security forces continue to hunt down these gangs and restore order.

Nearly 300 journalists and media workers have been killed since Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza began two years ago.

According to the Shireen Abu Akleh observatory, the overwhelming majority were Palestinians.

The International Federation of Journalists confirms at least 246 journalists have died across the region, 223 of them in Gaza alone.

These are not accidental deaths or unfortunate coincidences. They are the result, many human rights observers say, of a deliberate campaign to silence witnesses.

Since October 2023, Israel has shut down foreign media access, censored domestic coverage, and outlawed outlets deemed hostile to its war aims.

Source: press TV