IMAGES of protesters showing support for journalists in Gaza gives those working on the ground hope that there's "still humanity", a Palestinian reporter has said.
It comes after a protest saw nine-year-old Haleema in Glasgow honour the work of journalists in Gaza by wearing improvised press body armour and holding a microphone. The image was viewed millions of times on Twitter/X.
Artist and illustrator Anna Dittmann has also created a mural in Leith as tribute to Bisan Owda, a 25-year-old journalist based in Palestine, who documents Israel's bombardment of Gaza on social media.
Support like this in Scotland and around the world is "very touching" according to Shuruq As'ad, who works as a correspondent in Palestine for Dubai TV and MCD Radio Montecarlo, a French-Arabic radio station.
She has been working as a journalist for 30 years, and in that time has been arrested, beaten and shot at while reporting on the reality of life under occupation in Palestine.
Now living in the West Bank, As’ad, a representative of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), spoke about her experience of reporting on the conflict while being under constant attack from the Israeli military.
The need for solidarity from the international community has never been stronger, As’ad told The National, explaining it is this support which gives journalists on the ground hope.
“It’s very highly appreciated, and we count on it a lot," she said of the images from Scotland.
“This actually gives us hope in Palestine, and I’m sure it gives hope to our colleagues in Gaza, that there’s still humanity.”
As’ad said it was “very touching” to see a child in particular showing their support for Palestinian journalists.
'It didn't start on October 7'
For Palestinian journalists, life in Gaza and in the West Bank has been increasingly brutal to navigate.
“It has always been hard. It did not only start on October 7, it’s been all the years I have worked,” As’ad told The National.
In 2003, the Israeli military invaded the office As’ad worked at. Now, more than 20 years on, the situation has not changed.
READ MORE: Scottish Government has NOT paused funding to UNRWA, clarifies Humza Yousaf
Every Friday, As’ad reports on demonstrations taking place outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
“It’s very hard. It’s frightening when I go to cover demonstrations. This was the case before, but after October 7 it’s more and more brutal,” she said.
“There is an escalation on the attacks, an escalation of shooting. They always attack us, though we are together with our TV stickers, helmets, equipment.
“We are usually away from people or any area that can be dangerous, but they still attack us with tear gas and bullets, and even beating some of our colleagues badly.”
The dangers of reporting
The PJS said that 74 of its offices had been bombed by the Israeli military since October 7, and that two journalists in Gaza were currently missing.
In the West Bank, the PJS said 56 Palestinian journalists had been arrested, and more than 300 crews had reported being badly treated at Israeli checkpoints.
The organisation believes almost all of those arrested remain in Israeli jails.
READ MORE: Diaries from Gaza - 'We ask ourselves every day: Are we next?'
“We cannot contact them, we know no information about them – even the Red Cross cannot help us,” As’ad said.
“It’s a situation that nobody can even understand or tolerate as a journalist in any place in the world – I don’t think any journalists have lived and worked under those circumstances that my colleagues are in now in Gaza.
“They are attacked, they’re losing their lives, they’re injured. And they work although they lost loved ones, although they know that they may be [the] next target.”
Dozens of journalists killed
As of January 28, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), working alongside the PJS, estimates 90 Palestinian journalists have been killed in the conflict since October 7, when Hamas launched its attacks on Israel.
Under international humanitarian law, the intentional targeting of journalists constitutes a war crime.
Many of the Palestinian journalists who have been killed died after Israeli airstrikes hit their homes, or while they were reporting on the ground in areas supposed to be protected by international law, including hospitals, refugee camps and schools.
“Israel, in my opinion, is trying to demolish any possibility of civil life in Gaza,” As’ad continued.
“This is not coincidence killing – 90% [of journalists] were targeted and assassinated, some alone, some with their families.
“Some of them received direct threats from the Israeli army 24 hours or 48 hours before they died.
READ MORE: Alison Phipps - ICJ's genocide ruling marks end of Israel's impunity
“We have others who received the threats, but the killing was to their families,” As’ad added, referencing Al Jazeera's Gaza chief Wael Al-Dahdouh, whose family has been targeted and killed in Israeli attacks.
Al-Dahdouh lost his wife, daughter, son and grandchild in an attack in October, in addition to two nephews who were killed in a car bombing on January 7.
He was also targeted in a drone strike which left him injured and killed another colleague, cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, who died after ambulances were unable to reach him.
Al-Dahdouh has since escaped from Gaza to Qatar, where he will continue to receive medical treatment for the injuries he sustained.
Hope for fresh ICC case
There remains hope for justice. The PJS is currently compiling a case against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.
Although still in its early stages, the PJS hopes the case will hold Israel to account for the killing of journalists in Palestine, which amounts to around one journalist killed every day.
“We hope that they will be punished,” As’ad said. “Either the politicians who took that decision, or the soldiers who implemented the decision on the ground.”
She added that the PJS was also working with the UN, parliaments, journalists and other organisations to lobby the Israeli government to stop killing journalists.
Since October 7, more than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed, vast swathes of Gaza have been destroyed and nearly 85% of its people have been displaced.
On January 26, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to ensure its forces do not commit genocide and to ensure preservation of evidence of alleged genocide.
The court stopped short of ordering a ceasefire, or of determining whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide – a deliberation that will take years.
The IFJ Safety Fund supports journalists facing violence, persecution and threat or needing medical treatment. You can donate here.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel