In the midst of escalating violence in Gaza, Palestinian cameraman Sami Dawoud sought refuge in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after fleeing intensified Israeli bombing in Gaza City. Despite relocating to an area deemed safer, Dawoud and his family faced tragedy when an Israeli air strike hit their tent, killing him and his daughter. Dawoud, described by friends as deeply protective of his family, had been displaced multiple times since the onset of Israel’s military operations in October 2023. His friend and colleague, photographer Yahya Barzaq, recounted Dawoud’s unwavering commitment to his family’s safety, even as they moved from one precarious shelter to another. Barzaq himself met a similar fate, killed in an air strike just days after speaking to Middle East Eye about Dawoud’s death. The strikes have claimed the lives of 1,903 Palestinians in central and southern Gaza since mid-August, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office. Both Dawoud and Barzaq were respected members of Gaza’s journalist community, their deaths highlighting the peril faced by civilians and media professionals in the conflict. Barzaq, known for his work as a newborn photographer, had documented the lives of children later killed in the war, expressing his anguish over the suffering of Gaza’s youngest residents. The ongoing violence has left countless families displaced and vulnerable, with no safe haven from the relentless bombardment.