Fayed Abu Shamala, a political analyst and journalist, argued in his latest article published in Al-Jazeera Arabic website that despite facing extreme targeting and violence, Palestinian journalists in Gaza became fearless truth-tellers, exposing the occupation’s atrocities to the world.
No place in the world, at any point in history, has witnessed the killing of journalists and media workers in numbers like those killed in the Gaza Strip during the genocide that followed October 7, 2023.
The Israeli occupation has killed journalists through bombing, shelling, and sniper fire, and demolished their homes on top of them and their families in a brutal way that the world has never seen before.
A total of 207 journalists and media workers—men, women, youth, and elderly—were killed indiscriminately, at a rate of three per week, which is three times higher than the global average for journalist fatalities in the worst years, particularly in conflict zones, or due to their investigative work on organized crime, human trafficking, corruption, and other issues.
It is not useful here to ask the occupation why it deliberately targeted journalists—mostly if not always—because the occupation has consistently fabricated false narratives about the relationship of Palestinian journalists in Gaza to their national cause, the suffering of their people, and their ties to resistance factions.
The occupation has also fabricated accusations against those whose killings sparked relatively significant global outcry, as in the case of the assassination of journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul, a promising young journalist who covered the harshest phases of the aggression on Gaza City and the siege and invasion of Al-Shifa Hospital. He was arrested briefly and then released before Israeli missiles struck him on a major news day when he was covering the aftermath of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau. Both Ismails became martyrs on the same day, in almost the same way, one in Tehran, the other in Gaza City.
A Systematic Strategy for Dealing with the Media
Since October 7, the Israeli occupation has prevented foreign journalists from entering Gaza for two main reasons:
The first is to remove the protection that journalists in Gaza have. The presence of foreign journalists or any international staff, especially Westerners—as in all previous wars—means the occupation must be more precise in targeting. This time, the occupation wanted to eliminate that burden.
The second reason is to shield the occupation from being held accountable by foreign journalists, who—regardless of their political views—would document and publish the atrocities and crimes committed by the occupation.
Palestinian journalists succeeded in compensating for this absence by spreading out, preparing, and delivering the image to the world with as many details as possible, bearing the burden of doing so.
Various Measures Taken
In response, the occupation took a series of measures:
First: The evacuation of foreign agency and media institution journalists, who had vast experience, high expertise, and strong connections to the outside world. Most of them were evacuated to Egypt, Qatar, or other countries at their institutions’ request under the guise of protection.
Second: The destruction of Palestinian media institutions and equipment, including studios, cameras, broadcast vans, and more.
Third: The direct assassination of a large number of journalists working with Palestinian media institutions, bombing their homes or shooting them while they were working or using drones.
Fourth: Doubting the credibility and professionalism of journalists, creating false narratives to weaken their credibility, which made it easier to target them at any time and in any way.
Fifth: Arrests—journalists and media workers were frequently arrested, tortured, and their families harassed. In some cases, their homes were burned, as happened with veteran journalist Imad Al-Ifranji Abu Mesab, who remains behind bars.
Sixth: Injuries and the denial of treatment—this confirms the theory of deliberate targeting. If these were merely incidental events caused by the nature of the battle, the occupation would have been careful to provide assistance, as it does to its own soldiers who are injured in battle. At the very least, it would have allowed them to receive medical care in the nearest possible location, or permitted them to travel abroad for treatment, especially considering that the occupation had destroyed Gaza’s medical institutions, leaving them unable to provide the necessary services.
Seventh: Threats through phone calls and Israeli television programs, which were repeatedly used against dozens of journalists and photographers to intimidate and stop them from covering the events.
How Did Palestinian Journalists Respond?
Journalists did not succumb to this widespread targeting. Instead, they continued their coverage and made it their mission to find alternatives and means to deliver direct or recorded images and news, exposing the occupation’s practices and crimes in every area of Gaza. They relied on experiences passed down through three generations of journalists since the first Palestinian Intifada, known as the “Stone Intifada” in 1987.
They also drew strength from their belief in their role, the impact they had, and their ability to protect their people through their work, as they had done in every war that Gaza had experienced over the past two decades. They remained committed to their duties, keeping the coverage ongoing and ensuring the image of Gaza was never lost.
Amazing Results
A new generation of journalists emerged, carrying the banner of their predecessors, and ensuring that Gaza’s story was told to the world without being obscured. These journalists quickly became famous for their constant presence in danger zones, their deep connection to their community, and the fact that their homes, like the rest of Gaza, were targeted, and their families, too, were bombed or displaced. The world witnessed them screaming in fear, fleeing in panic, shaking from cold, starving, suffering from wounds, or bidding farewell to their fallen loved ones.
Gaza was able to tell its story with boldness and clarity through these journalists. The occupation failed miserably to silence the truth, and international media institutions that once seemed large became small and ineffective, even complicit. They neither fought for the journalists in Gaza, nor for entry into Gaza to cover the horrific and devastating war, which we’ve come to call “the war of genocide.” Nor did they fulfill their duty to convey the truth or defend the rights of Palestinian journalists to have the protection and freedom stipulated by international conventions.
Gaza Journalists Deserve Global Recognition
Gaza’s journalists deserve to win every award for bravery at international festivals and events. They stood firm, endured hardships, and clung to their people and their cause. They conveyed every image of suffering, the traces of which were evident on their faces, eyes, voices, bodies, and possessions.
Three Generations of Journalists
Perhaps this is a personal account of the journalism profession in Gaza, not a precise scientific history, as the profession did not begin when I started. Many journalists preceded me and my generation over the years. However, I noticed that our generation formed a complete layer of journalists across different fields, most of whom joined the first major Palestinian popular uprising, known as the Stone Intifada, which began in 1987.
They then witnessed the political developments that followed, especially the “peace process,” the Oslo Accords, and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority after the return of Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization. My own relationship with journalism began with this generation, which was also targeted by the occupation during the genocide, as seen in the targeting of the prominent journalist Mustafa Al-Swaf, who became a martyr, along with several members of his family.
Another colleague from this era was Wael Al-Dahdoh, the Al Jazeera bureau chief, who, along with his family and home, was targeted. He was injured, and several of his family members were martyred.
Veteran journalist Imad Al-Ifranji, another prominent figure in Gaza journalism, was tortured by the occupation after his arrest, and his home was burned, forcing his family to seek refuge in southern Gaza in a harsh and cruel manner.
I would not exaggerate if I said that most of the members of the first and second generations, those who came from the womb of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, experienced successive wars since 2008. These include journalists such as Tamer Al-Mishal, Moamen Al-Sharafi, Hisham Zaqout, and others, who worked in various media institutions, covering wars from 2008 to 2021. They, too, were targeted by killing, injury, threat, or arrest, with their families and homes also targeted.
The third generation of journalists appeared either after the 2021 war or before it but truly stood out when they carried the banner with distinction during the most challenging battles of all, starting with the eruption of the Al-Aqsa Flood at the end of 2023. They presented an honorable image of their bravery, professionalism, national loyalty, and carrying the cause of their people. We are proud of them and celebrate their work.
We mourn the 207 martyr journalists and wish a full recovery to the wounded, freedom for the prisoners, and that God compensates the affected with the best of rewards.
The story of Gaza’s journalists is just a small example of all sectors of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Their experiences, wars, and the inspiration of previous generations made them resilient, and they were forced to bear heavy burdens. Some have passed, and others are still waiting, unwavering in their commitment.
(Al-Jazeera Arabic Website – Translated and prepared by the Palestine Chronicle)
