Salma Mukhiamar
سلمى مخيمر

Killed by Israel on 24 Oct 2023

Archivist Notes

Salma Omar Mukhaimer, 31 years old, (1992- October 24, 2023) was a Palestinian Journalist who lived in Amman, Jordan. She was killed alongside her infant son, her parents, two of her sisters, her brother, and several guests during an Israeli airstrike on her family’s home in Rafah, Gaza, on October 24, 2023. Her death occurred during her final visit to her hometown, a trip she made in August to surprise her family. Salma, her son Ali, and her family were buried together, with her dreams of a new life left unfulfilled.

Salma graduated with a degree in Arabic Language, Journalism, and Media from the Islamic University in Gaza. She had moved to Amman as a bride three years prior, marrying Dr. Alaa Abu Shawer. They had a son, Ali, born on October 30, 2022. Her husband was preparing to reunite the family in Kuwait, where she planned to start a job at a school. Tragically, she died just days before Ali’s first birthday.

Her close friend, journalist Mufaaz Yousef, recounted their last conversations. “Salma used to tell me, ‘Thank God a hundred times that I am with my family in the war. That is easier than dying a hundred times in a foreign land alone.’” Salma had intended to stay in Gaza for a short period while her husband completed residency papers for her and their son in Kuwait. Salma’s friend added, “Everyone loved her, and the smell of musk wafted from the street where she was martyred.”

Salma’s husband, Dr. Alaa Abu Shawer, shared his devastation: “I am the son of a martyr, the husband of a martyr, and the father of a martyr. The beloved ones left without telling us… They broke my heart, and the mountains could not bear my pain. Oh Salma, my companion on my path… you broke my back.”

Her lifelong friend Israa Al-Mudallal described Salma as “a sister and support in all stages of life.” She was known for her vibrancy, ambition, and ability to bring joy to others despite the hardships. “She loved life,” Israa said, adding that Salma celebrated her friends with gestures of love, like baking birthday cakes and planning surprises. “She documented our beautiful memories. No one is like Salma.”

Salma’s final days were spent dreaming of better times. She planned simple joys, such as visiting Gaza’s sea and eating local treats like falafel and thyme manakeesh, before leaving to reunite with her husband in Kuwait. Tragically, fate cut her plans short, taking her life and those of her loved ones. Salma leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, and hope amid the immense suffering of war

Mkhaimer, a freelance journalist, was killed alongside her child in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and the independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr.

According to Women Journalists Without Chains (https://wjwc.org/news-en/palestine-targeted-killing-of-witnesses) Salma Hamada Misbah Mukhaimer (34 years old), an independent journalist working for several media outlets, was killed, along with her infant child, father, mother, and other family members, during an Israeli raid on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, while visiting her family from Jordan on October 25th.

https://web.archive.org/web/20240326001301/https://www.alaraby.co.uk/society/%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AE%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AA-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D9%89_%D9%85%D8%AE%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%B1