TRT World’s freelance journalist Yahya Barzaq was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.

Barzaq was on assignment documenting the war’s impact on civilians when an Israeli strike hit a cafe where he was reportedly uploading footage.

He was among five people killed in the attack, according to Palestinian media.

Medics said at least 58 more Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and a child, were killed Tuesday in new Israeli strikes across the Gaza.

Palestinian outlets reported that the strike in Deir al-Balah also targeted a carpentry workshop.

Barzaq and others were killed near the city’s Environment Street.

In his final posts on Instagram, Barzaq said he had been forced to flee Gaza City to the south due to Israeli bombardment and threats of forced displacement.

"My body was displaced to the south, but my heart is still in Gaza City," he wrote.

Türkiye condemns attack

Burhanettin Duran, Head of Communications for the Republic of Türkiye, called Barzaq "a courageous voice who pursued the truth in the shadow of occupation and oppression."

He said: "His story, featured in the TRT World documentary Gaza in My Photographs, showed his commitment to telling the world what was happening. Attacks on journalists will never silence the truth. We pray for mercy for Yahya and extend condolences to his family, colleagues, and loved ones."

Zahid Sobacı, Director General of TRT, strongly condemned the attack. He said Barzaq’s killing was another reminder of the dangers faced by journalists in Gaza.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague Yahya Barzaq, who was reporting under extremely difficult conditions. Israel will not be able to conceal its crimes against humanity by targeting journalists, and accountability will come sooner or later," he said.

Barzaq was widely known in Gaza as a newborn photographer.

Before the war, his Instagram page was filled with carefully styled portraits of babies taken at his private studio in Gaza City.

Since the start of Israel’s assault, his feed had transformed into stark images marked by black lines — a symbol of death and destruction.

He had also shared videos mourning children killed in the genocidal war.

Barzaq is one of at least 250 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, making the war one of the deadliest for the press in modern history, according to Palestinian and international monitors.

Palestinian media said his death underscores the continued targeting of journalists in Gaza amid Israel’s intensified bombardment of civilian areas and infrastructure.