Gaza reporter named World Press Freedom hero
Shafaq News – Copenhagen
Maryam Abu Daqa, an Independent Arabia correspondent killed by the Israeli Army in Gaza last August, was named a World Press Freedom Hero on Thursday.
The award, presented annually by the International Press Institute (IPI) in partnership with International Media Support (IMS), also recognized journalists from Georgia, the United States, Peru, Hong Kong, Ukraine, and Ethiopia.
In a statement, the institute described Abu Daqa as a journalist who “repeatedly risked her life to document, through her camera, the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.” It also noted that her death, for which no one has been held accountable, underscores the growing dangers for reporters in the region, many of whom face targeted attacks, displacement, and shortages of basic needs.
IMS and @Press_Instit are proud to announce the seven extraordinary journalists from Georgia, the United States, Gaza, Peru, Hong Kong, Ukraine and Ethiopia who have been named the 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Heroes.Learn more about the awardees: https://t.co/xCuv9aDBaA pic.twitter.com/m4nNyBdkwE
— IMS (@IMSforfreemedia) October 9, 2025
Independent Arabia Editor-in-Chief Adhwan al-Ahmari welcomed the recognition, portraying Abu Daqa as a journalist defined by courage, dedication, and integrity.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, at least 252 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
