NAZARETH, Israel — Activists from both Israeli and Palestinian communities gathered in Nazareth on Friday, wearing blue-and-white stickers resembling the ‘Press’ insignia. Their rally aimed to advocate for peace in Gaza and emphasize that journalism should not be criminalized.

The protest drew a large crowd, many of whom held photographs of Palestinian journalists who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict. A prominent banner read, “Don’t assassinate the truth.” Participants also banged on empty pots to symbolize hunger in Gaza and to protest the deaths of journalists.

Among the casualties of the war is Mariam Dagga, a 33-year-old freelance journalist for The Associated Press. She was killed earlier this week when Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, resulting in the deaths of four other reporters and 17 additional individuals. Dagga was part of a group of journalists who frequently reported from the hospital during the conflict, which escalated after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, Israel's military operations have claimed over 63,000 lives. Dagga aimed to highlight the struggles of ordinary Palestinians affected by the war, as well as the efforts of medical personnel caring for the injured and malnourished children.

The Israeli military stated that the attack on the hospital targeted what they believed to be a Hamas surveillance camera, asserting that journalists were not the intended targets. The Israeli Prime Minister referred to the incident as a “mishap.”

For Riyad Dagga, Mariam's father, the official explanations offer little comfort. He mourns his daughter in a tent in Khan Younis, nearly 111 miles from Nazareth. Reflecting on the moment he learned of her death, he said, “I couldn’t walk. And I didn’t know what was around me when I heard the news.” He recalled the words of the person who informed him, saying, “The person who told me the news said that Mariam was martyred, and I collapsed.”

Mariam's sister, Nada, was present at the hospital during the attack. She vividly remembers the last moment they shared before the second round of strikes hit. “Mariam, my sister, was on the stairs filming. I watched her and looked at her,” Nada recounted. “The last look between me and her. She looked at me and smiled.”

Mariam's brother, Mohamed, rushed to find her in the aftermath of the attack. “I pulled her out and took her from the fourth floor to the operations (room),” he said. “They told me to go downstairs at the reception until you receive (the body).”

Mariam's final photographs captured the damaged stairwell of Nasser Hospital, where she was killed moments later. The images show people navigating the staircase after the initial strike, while others peer out of the hospital's windows.