Latest news with #AbubakerAbed
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
‘There was a target on my back — I had to flee Gaza,' says Palestinian student who became ‘accidental war correspondent'
Abubaker Abed, whose starving family were reduced to eating pet food, feels there is still a threat to his life, even in Ireland Today at 21:30 A young journalist from Gaza who was evacuated from the war-torn territory last month and fled to Ireland believes his life remains under threat because he continues to speak out against the Israeli regime. Abubaker Abed (22), from central Gaza, said he was heartbroken to leave his parents, brothers and sisters behind. He fled at his mother's urging after she told him his presence was putting the entire family in danger. Mr Abed, who described how he became an 'accidental war correspondent', said leaving his family, friends and homeland was the most agonising decision of his life. 'I was evacuated on April 16, very reluctantly. I came to Ireland as a student to finish my education, but the main reason I came here was so that my life might be saved,' he told the Sunday Independent. 'The Israelis had put a target on my back because of the reporting I was involved in. I was reporting on the genocide that's happening in my homeland. 'I was left with no choice but to go. There was a smear campaign against me. I was threatened that I would be killed. 'What changed for me was my mother saying, 'If you stay, this will harm our family'. There was a threat to my life in Gaza. And now, in Ireland, I feel there is still a threat to my life.' Mr Abed said he was working as a sports journalist, covering football, when the war began in Gaza. He soon began writing about it and the impact it was having on people living there. 'The starvation and the bombings, the effects have been devastating. I evolved into a war correspondent because of the situation around me,' he said. He applied and was accepted on to a journalism course in Dublin last year, but declined to leave Gaza until last month. He hopes to start the course in September, having been awarded a scholarship. He previously studied English literature before becoming a sports journalist and commentator. Learn more 'I refused to leave Gaza around 10 times. I wanted to help my people and my homeland. Eventually, I had no choice and I very reluctantly left. It was the most impossible decision,' he said. When he arrived in Ireland, he was malnourished. 'It is the same for all my family. It is the same for everyone in Gaza. Starvation is the big problem at the moment. There is an ongoing starvation being inflicted on the population. All of Gaza is starving,' he said. Mr Abed feels guilt that he is now in a safe country with an abundance of food, water and access to medicine. 'I'm worried about my family all the time. I just hope the genocide ends soon. The renewed media coverage in the West has come too late, but I do have hope,' he said 'I feel very welcome here in Ireland. It is a beautiful country. But it is really hard to be without my family. I still have to recover from the trauma of what happened to me, and that will take time.' Mr Abed recently met Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne to discuss the situation in Gaza. The politician told the Dáil last week: 'Abubaker is only out of Gaza a month. He described [in a podcast] how he had sat down with his family about two or three months ago. They had no food left and had to eat pet food. 'That was the moment when he and his family were completely dehumanised and humiliated. 'He has been broken, like so many people in Gaza. We have a responsibility to act.' I feel Ireland is the Palestine of Europe. War planes, they should not be allowed into Irish airspace. The Occupied Territories Bill needs to be passed Mr Abed said: 'I feel that 95pc of people in Ireland support Palestine, but the Irish Government is not listening to its people. Ireland needs to help persuade Europe that Israel should face sanctions. Silence is complicity. 'I feel that Ireland is the Palestine of Europe. War planes, they should not be allowed into Irish airspace. The Occupied Territories Bill needs to be passed.' A government-revised draft of the Occupied Territories Bill is to be presented to the Cabinet on Tuesday, Tánaiste Simon Harris said last week. Speaking in the Dáil, he said the legislation is being 'well progressed' within the Department of Foreign Affairs. Mr Harris has backed Taoiseach Micheál Martin's call for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The Taoiseach described the continuing bombardment of Gaza as 'an affront to human decency'.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Record-breaking rise in Journalist deaths as Israel bombards Gaza
Uncovering the Truth: Journalists' struggles and death toll amid the Gaza conflict Image: Loay Ayyoub Saturday marked World Press Freedom Day—a reminder of the vital role journalists play in uncovering the truth and holding power to account amid the Israeli government's killing of reporters and the bombardment of Gaza. However, recent reports underscore a troubling reality as 2024 has been the deadliest year for journalists in history, with nearly 70% of those killed in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). In their March 1, 2025, report titled '2024 is the deadliest year for journalists in CPJ history; almost 70 per cent killed by Israel,' the CPJ detailed the staggering toll on media workers in Gaza. The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War project revealed that between October 7, 2023, and March 26, 2025, at least 232 journalists were killed in Gaza, averaging roughly 13 deaths per month. According to the CPJ, this violence surpasses historical conflicts, with Israel's actions during this period causing more journalist fatalities than the combined toll of the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam (including conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and early 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan. The CPJ also said that the number of conflicts worldwide—political, criminal, or military—has doubled over the past five years. 'This escalation is reflected in the high number of journalist deaths in countries like Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Yet, the impact in Gaza remains particularly severe, with 85 journalists killed in 2024 alone, following 78 in 2023. 'These figures highlight an alarming trend: the increasing danger faced by reporters and media workers, which threatens the global flow of information. 'As one journalist, Abubaker Abed, recently recounted, journalism has become perilous in Gaza. After arriving in Ireland for medical treatment and studies, Abed shared his harrowing experiences,' read the CPJ report. Abubaker Abed's Testimony 'Israel has turned journalism into such a dangerous profession,' Abed explained.' 'They've been targeting journalists for more than 570 days, killing over 210 of us. I've survived Israeli airstrikes, and I've always feared for my life—sometimes reporting live without a press vest because it's too risky.' According to CPJ, Abed added that reporting in Gaza is unimaginable, suggesting that it's risking your life to document genocide. 'Journalism is not a crime, but Israel treats it as one. They want to silence us. It's barbaric and inhumane, as they are enemies of the truth because the truth doesn't serve their interests. 'International media organisations have failed to protect Palestinian journalists.' The Institute for Public Accuracy also highlighted the plight of journalists like Hossam Shabat. In a report titled 'Hossam Shabat's Last Article,' Sharif Abdel Kouddous recounted that in October, the Israeli military put Hossam and five other Palestinian journalists on a hit list. Hossam described feeling 'hunted,' calling for global awareness with the hashtag #ProtectTheJournalists. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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CBC
31-01-2025
- Politics
- CBC
The harrowing return to northern Gaza
It's been nearly two weeks since a ceasefire brought more than 15 months of violence in Gaza to an end, and now, hundreds of thousands of Gazans are returning to the north, or what's left of it. Abubaker Abed, a Palestinian freelance journalist, joins us to share what he has witnessed since becoming thrust into this role of war correspondent, how Palestinians are feeling about this fragile peace, and what comes next.
