Four years ago, Mahmoud Isleem al-Basos began messaging Shadi al-Tabatiby on social media, again and again, asking to join him on shoots. Al-Tabatiby, one of Gaza’s best-known drone journalists, didn’t pay much attention at first.
“But Mahmoud was persistent,” al-Tabatiby said. “So I told him, ‘Fine, I’ll meet you.’”
Twice, al-Tabatiby told al-Basos where he’d be filming; both times, al-Basos showed up and waited.
“There’s an age gap between us, but I love people who work hard and want to learn,” al-Tabatiby said. “I found that in Mahmoud.”
The two grew close, and al-Basos began joining al-Tabatiby on shoots.
Then came Israel’s war on Gaza. Al-Tabatiby, who was freelancing for The Associated Press, relocated to the south. Al-Basos stayed in the north. With movement between the two areas cut off by the Israeli military, they kept in touch.
Al-Tabatiby started assigning al-Basos shoots from afar, and the young journalist picked up work with international outlets, including Reuters and the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Even after al-Tabatiby evacuated to Egypt a year ago, they stayed in close contact.
Two weeks ago, on March 15, al-Basos was filming preparations for a Ramadan iftar in the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahia. The backdrop was a new expansion of a displacement camp opened by the London-based Al-Khair Foundation, which was paying al-Basos to film the event. Then two Israeli airstrikes hit the area. At least seven people were killed, including al-Basos.
“I was in shock,” Al-Tabatiby said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
He added, with incredulity, “We were in a ceasefire.”
Al-Basos became the fifth drone journalist to be killed by Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
Hellbound and Down 