Latest news with #PalestinianJournalists
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'I'm hungry': Nadra was hospitalised for malnutrition days after uttering these words
This article contains content some readers may find distressing. Khaled Al-Kafarneh used to photograph elated brides and grooms being wed. Now he captures lives being torn apart. The 21-year-old Palestinian journalist was previously an events photographer, and says his work came easily at a time when "life was beautiful". The lens of his camera can no longer find similar moments of joy in Gaza. "We're just focused on surviving and documenting," he told The Feed. Over 20 months of devastation, Khaled's work has never stopped. Khaled's brother Hussein (left) was killed by an Israeli airstrike in January 2025. Source: Supplied During sunlight hours, he uses a small solar panel to charge his equipment. All electricity to the grid was cut months ago. "We rely completely on solar power now ... But some days, there's no sun, or it's not enough. So I have to choose: charge my phone, or charge my camera," he said. As night falls, he stations himself at one of Gaza's few remaining hospitals, which are overrun and desperate. Patients line the floors, groaning without anesthesia. Mothers wail over dead children. Corpses pile up beside sheltering families. "From there, we'd hear calls that a home had been bombed. The ambulances would go, and we'd ride with them — because driving our own cars was too dangerous. "We'd film, return with the ambulances, and sometimes get targeted while filming." Khaled is among a significant number of young Palestinians who, despite never having worked in journalism, started documenting the devastation in Gaza after October 2023 — filing both to international news organisations and large followings on Instagram. Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, while about 250 were taken hostage. At least 59,106 Palestinians have been killed and 142,511 injured in Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday. "During the war, something pushed me to try to get a message out from inside Gaza to the world," Khaled said. "That's how my journey as a reporter began." Khaled, who became a journalist after October 7, says he dreams of finishing his education and building a "normal life". Credit: Supplied Israel has continued to restrict foreign media from entering Gaza, and with hundreds of Palestinian journalists killed since October 7, civilians inside the enclave — journalist or not — are left with the responsibility of documenting the war. "Gazan journalists are the only eyes and ears on the ground," Doja Daoud, Levant program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told The Feed. "Many Palestinians documenting atrocities on the ground have lost faith after relentlessly telling stories from Gaza, with no effective action to stop atrocities or offer protection." 'I wonder how I'm continuing' Like Khaled, Nadra El-Tibi never thought she'd be a war correspondent before October 7. But the 25-year-old schoolteacher and psychological first aid specialist says her fluency in English — a skill she learned by watching videos online — compelled her to "convey the truth from inside Gaza". Nadra was displaced for more than 500 days in southern Gaza. While sheltering at a refugee camp, she told the stories of the women and children there. Source: Supplied "One of my friends outside the Gaza Strip called me ... [and asked me] to tell the world the facts in Gaza by my English," she told The Feed. Already documenting the war with a daily diary entry, she decided: 'Yes, you must Nadra, as you have English and Arabic language. You must be a journalist to convey the truth to all the world, to the silent world.'" She, like many other weary journalists in the besieged enclave, is warning that hunger — not falling bombs — will be what ultimately forces her to set down her camera. "I'm hungry. Yes, we are in Gaza, hungry, but not ashamed. The shame is not ours," she said in a video to her Instagram following, a day before being hospitalised for malnutrition. At least 115 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza since October 7, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Most of those deaths have been recorded in recent weeks. Nadra also finds little rest amid the sound of bombs and night terrors. "I see with my eyes, I see with my own eyes people who are cut up, their heads detached from their bodies," she said. "Sometimes I wonder how I'm continuing." One of the hardest moments, Nadra says, was at the site of the al-Baqa Cafeteria bombing — a bustling seaside internet cafe in Gaza City, popular with journalists and students. Initial reports said at least 24 people were killed, but that number has since increased to 30. Relatives mourn over the body of journalist Ismail Abu Hatab, who was among at least 30 people killed by an Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City Source: EPA / Haitham Imad/ Getty Among them was 32-year-old photojournalist and film director Ismail Abu Hatab. "I went to the spot and half of the people were still in the sea, killed in the sea, and another half on the ground," Nadra said. Can you imagine? I was speechless in that moment … I couldn't speak any word. People present have described it as a "massacre" and a Human Rights Watch spokesperson said it was "an unlawful, disproportionate or indiscriminate attack". Israel has said the strike targeted Hamas operatives. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told the Guardian that "prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance". 'Worst ever conflict' for journalists Khaled and Nadra's journalistic pursuit is one that is uniquely dangerous. More than 185 of their colleagues have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to a database by the CPJ. It alleges Israel is directly targeting journalists, which Israel denies. Another analysis estimates that number could be as high as 232. The report, by the Cost of War project at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US, published in April, also declared it the "worst ever conflict" for journalists and media reporters. It found more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in any other war, including the US Civil War, World Wars One and Two, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan. In a statement to The Feed, the IDF said it has never deliberately targeted journalists. "Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risk," it said. "The IDF will continue to counter threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians." Running on low batteries Amid a landscape of mostly rubble, the telecommunication infrastructure needed to support the delivery of journalism in Gaza barely exists. Over 70 per cent of the enclave's networks have been partially or completely destroyed since October 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy. The remaining networks are subject to partial or full outages ordered by Israel, of which 10 have occurred so far — each threatening to suspend aid efforts and emergency assistance. Between 10 and 21 June, the Gaza Strip experienced a total internet blackout and widespread mobile phone interruptions, described by the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority as "systematic targeting". The IDF did not respond to a request for comment before publication. "When the military cut the internet, we used SIM cards and tried to get close to the border, which was dangerous. Those SIM cards only worked in those border areas, where Israeli troops were stationed," Khaled said. Some journalists were killed while uploading footage, or just while changing SIMs. What's more, the flow of electricity to the last facility in Gaza receiving power from the Israel Electric Corporation was cut in March. There's been none since. Khaled says his small solar panel setup is "just enough to charge my phone or camera if there's sunlight". On cloudy days, he's learned to work under-resourced. "Since electricity is scarce, people have set up small businesses just for charging phones, and they make money from this," Khaled says. Credit: Mohammed Talatene / picture alliance via Getty Images "I use power banks too, but they run out quickly. It's a daily struggle." Palestinians in Gaza rely heavily on mobile phones to heed evacuation orders, navigate the rubble, access information on aid or medical services, call an ambulance and maintain connection to their families. Press vests are 'a target' Khaled's press vest is tattered and frayed after months of incessant use. Ill-matched stitching marks where a tailor has made careful repairs. While offering little protection from falling bombs, the blue and white flak jacket is an internationally recognised symbol, designed to distinguish journalists from combatants during wartime. But Khaled says it has lost all meaning in Gaza. "It's nothing more than sponge and cloth." Journalists were killed right in front of me … The laws have been broken here. "I don't feel safe in Gaza no matter what … but especially when wearing the press vest and helmet," she wrote to Instagram in November 2023, just days before being evacuated to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing and then to Australia. Rafah has been closed since May 2024. More journalists were killed in the first 10 weeks of the war than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year, the CPJ found. "Journalists have been a target in Gaza since day one," Daoud says. "[They've] repeatedly told the Committee to Protect Journalists ... they think the press vest itself has become a target. Likewise, with their use of a tripod while capturing footage of a besieged Gaza. "We've seen the blatant disregard of international law, and the lack of accountability and silence from world leaders that has ensued." An IDF spokesperson told The Feed it "takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists". "The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target journalists as such." 'And yet I keep going' Despite living through many previous cycles of violence in Gaza, Khaled says the loss he's experienced in the past 20 months is immeasurable. "I lost my brother, lost my home, saw friends die. And yet I keep going," he said. "Even when I'm scared, I force myself to keep going. There's no choice. We don't even think about mental health anymore. That's a luxury for people in peaceful places. For Nadra, her dream of motherhood was stolen. "The hospital that I was visiting to take some of the health care to be pregnant … was destroyed," she says, referring to an IVF clinic. "My childhood [dream] was killed because of this war, after seven years of waiting to be pregnant." Still, they both say their duty to journalism — and to Gaza — is steadfast. "This is my job. Even if it puts my life at risk, it's my duty to carry it out to the fullest," Khaled said. Likewise, Nadra says: "It's my duty. I love Gaza. I love my English. I love my work." "But if I were killed, I will not forgive anyone. Anyone who saw us and remained [silent]." Hadil Al Swaiedi from SBS Arabic provided interpretation and translation assistance.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Israeli strikes kill 30 in Gaza, including rescue service official and local journalist
GAZA: Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday (May 25), including a senior rescue service official and a journalist, local health authorities said. The latest deaths in the Israeli campaign resulted from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, medics said. In Jabalia, they said local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several family members were killed by an air strike that hit his house earlier on Sunday. Another air strike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their house, medics added. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that Abu Warda's death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 220. Israel's military said in a statement that chief of staff Eyal Zamir visited troops in Khan Younis on Sunday, telling them that "this is not an endless war" and that Hamas has lost most of its assets, including its command and control. "We will deploy every tool at our disposal to bring the hostages home, dismantle Hamas and dismantle its rule," Zamir was cited as statement did not address Sunday's strikes. Later on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC said in a statement that two of its staff - Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal - had been killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis on Thursday. "Their killing points to the intolerable civilian death toll in Gaza. The ICRC reiterates its urgent call for a ceasefire and for the respect and protection of civilians, including medical, humanitarian relief, and civil defence personnel," the ICRC statement added. In a separate statement, the Gaza media office said Israeli forces were in control of 77 per cent of the Gaza Strip, either through ground forces or evacuation orders and bombardments that keep residents away from their homes. The armed wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said in separate statements on Sunday that fighters carried out several ambushes and attacks using bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces operating in several areas across Gaza. On Friday, the Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers. Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants' cross-border attack on Oct 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The conflict has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Israeli strikes kill 23 in Gaza, including rescue service official and local journalist
GAZA: Israeli military strikes killed at least 23 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday (May 25), including a senior rescue service official and a journalist, local health authorities said. The latest deaths in the Israeli campaign resulted from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, medics said. In Jabalia, they said local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several family members were killed by an air strike that hit his house earlier on Sunday. Another air strike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their house, medics added. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that Abu Warda's death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 220. Israel's military said in a statement that chief of staff Eyal Zamir visited troops in Khan Younis on Sunday, telling them that "this is not an endless war" and that Hamas has lost most of its assets, including its command and control. "We will deploy every tool at our disposal to bring the hostages home, dismantle Hamas and dismantle its rule," Zamir was cited as saying. The statement did not address Sunday's strikes. Later on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC said in a statement that two of its staff - Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal - had been killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis on Thursday. "Their killing points to the intolerable civilian death toll in Gaza. The ICRC reiterates its urgent call for a ceasefire and for the respect and protection of civilians, including medical, humanitarian relief, and civil defence personnel," the ICRC statement added. In a separate statement, the Gaza media office said Israeli forces were in control of 77 per cent of the Gaza Strip, either through ground forces or evacuation orders and bombardments that keep residents away from their homes. The armed wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said in separate statements on Sunday that fighters carried out several ambushes and attacks using bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces operating in several areas across Gaza. On Friday, the Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers. Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants' cross-border attack on Oct 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The conflict has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Strikes Kill 20 in Gaza, Including Journalist and Rescue Service Official
Israeli military strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including a local journalist and a senior rescue service official, local health authorities said. The latest deaths in the Israeli campaign resulted from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, medics said. In Jabalia, they said local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several family members were killed by an airstrike that hit his house earlier on Sunday. Another airstrike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their house, medics added. There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that Abu Warda's death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, to 220. The armed wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said in separate statements on Sunday that fighters carried out several ambushes and attacks using bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces operating in several areas across Gaza. On Friday the Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip kill at least 20 Palestinians
Israeli military strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including a journalist and a senior rescue service official, local health authorities said. The latest deaths in the Israeli campaign resulted from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, medics said. In Jabalia, they said local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several of his family members were killed when an airstrike hit his house on Sunday. Another airstrike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their home, medics added. READ MORE There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that Abu Warda's death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7th, 2023, to 220. In a separate statement, the media office said Israeli forces were in control of 77 per cent of the Gaza Strip, either through ground forces or evacuation orders and bombardment that keeps residents away from their homes. The armed wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said in separate statements on Sunday that fighters carried out several ambushes and attacks using bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces operating in several areas across Gaza. On Friday, the Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers. Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants' cross-border attack on October 7th, 2023, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The conflict has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread due to an Israeli blockade on goods entering the area. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Sunday that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards the country. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have continued to fire missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Most of the group's missile have been intercepted or have fallen short. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the latest missile launch. International pressure has been growing on Israel to call off its military campaign in Gaza. Earlier this week, British prime minister Keir Starmer , French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney condemned the Israeli government's 'egregious' actions in Gaza. They warned they would take 'concrete actions' unless Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu changes course. The statement was condemned by Mr Netanyahu and he accused the world leaders of 'emboldening Hamas'. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, British Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch said Mr Starmer's public criticism of Israel 'does not send the right message'. 'You should do it in a way that does not have Hamas cheering – Hamas praised that statement,' she said. 'Sending a signal to Hamas like that does not send the right message, you should not have terrorist cheers.' - Reuters/PA
