Asahi Shimbun Correspondent Mohammed Mansour Killed in Israeli Missile Attack

Mohammed Mansour, Asahi Shimbun Correspondent, Killed in Israeli Missile Attack

Mohammed Mansour, a 29-year-old correspondent for The Asahi Shimbun, was killed in an Israeli missile attack on his home in Gaza on March 24. Authorities in Gaza confirmed his death in Khan Younis city.

Initially, reports indicated that his wife and infant son, who were with him at the time, had also died. However, on March 25, Norihiko Kuwayama, a psychiatrist and president of the non-profit organization "Chikyu no Steiji" (Stage of the Earth), received new information that Mansour's wife and child were being treated in a hospital's intensive care unit. Kuwayama is currently trying to confirm this information.

Mansour, originally from Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, had recently rented a house in Khan Younis after being repeatedly displaced due to the Israeli military bombardment. According to Gaza authorities, Mansour is the 207th journalist killed in Gaza since October 2023, when fighting between Israeli forces and the Islamic organization Hamas escalated.

As a correspondent for The Asahi Shimbun, Mansour sent interview notes and video footage to the Jerusalem bureau chief, Jun Takaku, via a message app. They also exchanged calls to complete articles, despite the poor internet environment. The last time Takaku spoke with Mansour was before 2 a.m. local time on March 24.

When Takaku told Mansour not to go anywhere dangerous, the correspondent laughed and said that even hospitals were being attacked, so he did not know of any place that was not in danger. Around 11 a.m., Takaku received a message from Mansour saying that the Israeli attacks in Khan Younis had become intense. He asked the bureau chief to send him a picture of the latest article when it is published.

"We are deeply saddened and outraged by the death of Mohammed Mansour, who reported from the field on the situation in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, where Israeli military attacks continue. Attacks against civilians, including journalists, are never acceptable under any circumstance. We have received reports of an Israeli missile attack, and we are continuing our coverage to confirm the details of the situation.