Muhammad Al-Salhi

محمد تهامي عبد السلام الصالحي

photojournalist

Fourth Authority news agency

Muhammad al-Salhi was a passionate Palestinian photographer and photojournalist, deeply committed to his profession and his people. He grew up in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, living near the separation fence, a symbol of division and apartheid that became a recurring theme in his photographs. After a 15-week engagement, Muhammad married his love, Maya Nehme. On August 10th, they celebrated their wedding anniversary, followed by Muhammad’s birthday in September. Maya, also a refugee in her own land, wrote to him on his birthday: “I am satisfied with you as a homeland, for there is no safety other than you, and I am satisfied with you as a pulse, for I have no life except near you”. Just a month later, Muhammad was taken from her. On October 7th, while reporting, Muhammad was shot, despite wearing his press vest and helmet. He was just 29 years old when the Israeli military ended his life. For many, his story may seem like another tragic headline from the ongoing genocide. But to the people of Gaza, Muhammad was more than a statistic. He was the photographer who captured their everyday lives, documenting their struggles and the brutality and violence inflicted on them by Israel. To his colleagues, he was the dedicated photojournalist who rushed to every scene, driven by his passion for truth-telling. For Maya, his loving wife, he was everything. She mourns his loss, telling friends how his phone alarm still rings every day at work time, and how she finds herself saying, “Come on, my love, wake up for work, your phone is ringing”. Muhammad was not just a number. He was a colleague, a friend, a brother, a son and a husband. He was a man with his whole life ahead of him.