Maryam Abu Daqqa’s father pays emotional tribute to journalist ‘loved by everybody’

The father of Maryam Abu Daqqa, a photojournalist for Independent Arabia who was killed in an Israeli air strike, has paid an emotional tribute to his daughter who was “loved by everybody”. The 33-year-old was climbing onto the emergency building at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younsis, in the southern Gaza Strip, when Israel struck the facility, killing Abu Daqqa and 19 others on Monday (25 August). Abu Daqqa’s father Riyad, who had received a kidney from his daughter, said she was “one of my most beloved children”. “Everyone in Gaza loved her. She was loved by all people. She wished the best for everyone. She was always active in her work and all the good qualities are present in Maryam.” Independent Arabia said it “mourns its courageous correspondent”, who left behind an 11-year-old son.