Palestinian photojournalist known for newborn portraits, killed
Well-known Palestinian freelance photojournalist, Yahia Barzak, famous for his striking newborn portraits before October 7, 2023, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 30, in Deir al-Balah, Central Gaza.
Before Israel’s military operation, the 34-year-old photojournalist owned Yahia Barzaq Studio, which was the only studio in Gaza specialising in newborn photography. He was forced to leave after Israeli bombardment and threats of displacement surfaced.
Barzaq started working for Turkish broadcaster TRT World and documented the war’s impact on civilians, mainly children. He was killed while uploading one of his assignments in a cafe which was attacked by Israeli forces. Four other individuals were also killed.
Many Palestinian babies he had photographed perished in Israel’s military operation. “How can I bear to see their soft, innocent bodies charred after I used to see them daily in their most beautiful form,” he wrote in one of his posts.
Prior to his death, Barzaq recalled seeing one of the photographs of a newborn he had shot buried beneath rubble. “I never imagined that these beautiful pictures we had taken were destroyed,” he had said.
He used those portraits honouring the martyred children and raised awareness of the war.
In his last Instagram post, four days ago, Barzaq expressed how he was forced to flee Gaza, leaving behind the studio he describes as his “first home after my own house was destroyed.”
“Today, we are forced to leave the studio and be displaced once again from Gaza City. With that, I announce the end of the story of Yahya Barzaq Studio—the first and only studio in the Gaza Strip specialising in photographing newborns.”
On Wednesday, dozens attended Barzaq’s funeral service at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. “My body was displaced to the south, but my heart is still in Gaza City,” he wrote in a previous post.
According to The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), at least 223 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed, while many have been injured, and others are missing during the war in Gaza.