Noor Qindil
نور قنديل

Killed by Israel on 18 May 2025

Links

• The Israeli occupation Commits an Act of Extermination Against 4 Journalists and Their Families in Gaza
• Four journalists killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
• Unquenchable Light: The Story of a Journalist Killed Along with Her Dream

Archivist Notes

Killed along with her husband, journalist Khaled Abu Sayf, and their daughter in an Israeli strike on their home in Deir al-Balah.

According to Al Manassa, journalist Nour Qandil, her husband, fellow journalist Khaled Abu Youssef, and their young daughter (1 y/o) were killed when an Israeli missile struck a neighbor's home in western Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The explosion destroyed several nearby houses, wiping out the family.

Before the war, Nour was active in youth-led media initiatives and was deeply committed to supporting young journalists and promoting local storytelling.

On May 15, Palestinian journalist Nour Qandil wrote a Facebook post saying, “If I am martyred, I am not just a number, right? Tell me a lot about me, and let my voice, my ambition, and my dream be heard after me.” She dreamed of traveling to complete her master's degree in digital media, but she remained trapped by the blockade imposed on Gaza for more than two decades.

Nour Qandil was a 2020 graduate of the Department of Journalism and Media at Al-Aqsa University, has not had stable employment opportunities in local media outlets. However, she has worked with several organizations, most recently with Al-Thuraya Media, where she served as an events coordinator at the Social Media Café.

Her colleagues described her as “talented, resilient, and persistent,” and she always sought to break the economic blockade by developing her handicraft skills and marketing them through social media platforms. “Nour had an extraordinary passion for journalism… Even after she had a child, she didn’t give up on her dream. She wanted to convey the voice of Gaza, especially the stories of women and families.”Nour wasn't looking for stardom, but for a voice. At the moment of truth, when the horizon narrowed and the bombing intensified, she wrote: "Tell me a lot, and convey my voice and ambition..."

Her family was displaced several times during the war, and in mid-May, they returned to their home in Deir al-Balah, believing that calm might return. But three days later, Israeli warplanes directly bombed the house.