SAEDNEWS: Journalists in Gaza are being targeted directly, and their names are even placed on the Israeli regime's army lists to be deliberately assassinated, a journalist covering the Gaza war says.
With the situation in Gaza escalating rapidly, local journalists are facing unprecedented challenges in reporting from the ground. Israel has also killed nearly 270 journalists and media workers since it launched its war on Gaza.
On Sunday, Israeli forces killed five Al Jazeera staff, including Al-Jazeera correspondents Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qareqa, as well as photographers Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Nofal, in a targeted strike on their media tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. This deadly attack highlights the mounting threats against journalists trying to cover the unfolding crisis.
Given these grave circumstances and to provide a clearer understanding of the situation on the ground, we conducted an interview with a local journalist currently reporting from Gaza.
Mohammed Asad, a photojournalist and filmmaker documenting the war in Gaza, told Mehr News Agency that since the beginning of the war in Gaza two years ago, the press staff have faced obstacles and challenges in media coverage that no war photographer in the world has ever experienced. "We lack transportation and the fuel needed to move, as well as safety equipment — the protective vests we use are expired."
"We are targeted directly, and journalists’ names are even placed on army lists to be deliberately assassinated. Some have been targeted in “red zones,” while others were killed while walking in the streets due to the heavy gunfire," he underlined.
Asad added that in addition, their homes and offices have been destroyed, and the equipment and cameras they use have been damaged, with no compensation available because the crossings remain closed.
"In addition to the internet blackout, even the mobile phones we sometimes use to report events have almost exhausted their battery lives and require constant charging. We try to work as much as we can, but there are events we simply cannot reach. Many disasters and massacres occur that we are unable to document; our cameras cannot capture them due to the heavy gunfire and the complete lockdown imposed by the occupation," he added.
He concluded by saying that real action must be taken to end the war in Gaza and assist the journalists. "International journalists must come to Gaza. Everyone watches us from afar and sends solidarity from a distance. This is not enough and does not save the situation here. The occupation threatens to launch a full-scale war and gain complete control over the Gaza Strip. Therefore, international journalists must head to Gaza, and international organizations should take action to protect journalists here."
