استطلاع رأي "أريج" يرصد أصوات الصحافيين في غزة

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently came under fire for stating during a meeting in parliament on Nov. 27 that “there are no journalists in Gaza” to help politicians verify whether Israel was blocking aid to Palestinians.

Palestinian Journalist Lamis Andoni responded to his comments, telling Middle East Eye that Lammy’s statement was “racist,” and insulting to Palestinian journalists working tirelessly in Gaza, while Gaza-based journalist Hossam Shabat asked, “Did [Lammy] say why there are no journalists in Gaza?” 

Reactions highlighted both the essential role of Palestinian journalists in exposing the “most documented genocide in history” to the global conscience and the immense threat posed by Israel to journalists in Gaza.

On Nov. 13, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) released key findings from a survey they conducted to “document the losses, humanitarian conditions, and multitude of challenges faced by Palestinian journalists” during the genocide in Gaza. The survey results included a qualitative supplement of testimonials titled “In Their Own Words: Gaza’s Journalists.” Responses were collected between Oct. 25 - Nov. 7, 2024, surveying 383 journalists based in Gaza at some point during the genocide to hear firsthand accounts of their experiences. Eighty-nine percent of the journalists surveyed at the time were still in Gaza. Sixty-two percent of the journalists surveyed were under 34 years old.

According to ARIJ, the findings offer “a clearer understanding of the profound impact of the ongoing war on [the journalists'] lives and their ability to continue reporting.”

One response reads, “Everything we live through in this war is difficult.” The past year has been the deadliest year on record for journalists due to Israel’s mass killing of Palestinian journalists and media workers. The murder of journalist Maysara Ahmed Salah of Quds News Network on Dec. 1 has brought the official toll of journalists killed by Israel during the genocide in Gaza to 192, according to reports from the Gaza Media Office. 

UN experts have accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists in Gaza. The Israeli regime, however, has dismissed such accusations as its forces repeatedly harass and threaten journalists in Gaza. Most recently, Israel has concocted accusations against six Al Jazeera journalists declaring, without evidence, that they are affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jehad. Media groups denounced this outrageous accusation with Al Jazeera calling it “baseless.” Israel has repeatedly smeared Palestinian journalists before targeting them.

According to Reporters Without Borders, these repeated accusations “condone and incite the persecution of those who are risking their lives to report the news.” This political persecution alongside the current humanitarian crisis Israel has created in Gaza makes journalism in Gaza a deadly feat.

Collecting data on the destruction and loss of life in Gaza is difficult as much of the reporting infrastructure has been destroyed during the genocide, and many Palestinians are missing or remain under the rubble. In July, the Lancet estimated that the true number of Palestinians killed exceeds 186,000. Today, this figure could be much higher. Eighty-four journalists surveyed by ARIJ reported losing family members, with a total of 576 family members killed. Seven journalists reported losing at least one of their children. One journalist reported that their house was targeted by an Israeli airstrike that killed their brother, wife, and children. 

Ninety-six percent of journalists surveyed had been displaced, while 88 percent said their home was destroyed. Only eight percent of the journalists surveyed who remain in Gaza live in their homes, while 60 percent are living in tents, nine percent in refugee camps, 11 percent with relatives, friends, or acquaintances, and 10 percent in a rented property. In addition to lacking proper shelter, several testimonies published by ARIJ outlined the increasing hardships journalists face as Israel’s genocidal onslaught continues. The constant displacement, loss of loved ones, and difficulty accessing basic necessities due to the skyrocketing cost of living and blockade have taken a heavy psychological toll.

While experiencing personal losses and displacement, the journalists recorded many obstacles in their reporting, such as lack of proper equipment, job insecurity, and connectivity and mobility issues. One journalist said they’ve had to use a phone that only works to open links but “doesn’t take photos, doesn’t edit, and is of no use to [them] in any aspect of [their] work.” Another reported that their phone was disconnected several times while filling out the survey, a reflection of their experience trying to do their work. And one expressed embarrassment that they have to borrow a phone from their colleagues in order to do their work which “disrupts” their work and their colleagues’.

Ninety-two percent did not have any protective gear, and many reported that their equipment had been damaged or confiscated. Although 33 percent reported that they didn’t believe protective equipment was effective, several testimonies expressed a belief that their equipment saved them from death or injury after a bombing. Working as a journalist was in many cases an unstable source of income. Sixty-six percent of respondents were working as freelancers, while 49 percent reported losing their jobs during the genocide. The financial strain has made it difficult to provide for their families and support their reporting gigs. Traveling around Gaza to report is challenging due to the high price of fuel and the possibility of targeted bombings, such as those that killed journalists Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya. 

ARIJ had previously conducted a similar survey in June, this latest one builds on their efforts to document journalists’ experiences and conditions in Gaza. 

ARIJ also included a supplement of testimonials titled “In Their Own Words: Gaza’s Journalists” amplifying the voices of Gaza’s journalists determined to continue reporting on Israel’s ongoing violence toward Palestinians despite the constant threat to their lives. 

One journalist, describing the loss of all their professional equipment, states, “I remain steadfast in northern Gaza, continuing to fulfill my journalistic duty with all the will and determination I have, despite the harsh conditions and daily challenges I face.” 

Another proclaims, “The war leaves its mark on all of us, but my belief in my mission is what drives me to continue, despite the risks.”