RAFIF ESLEEM

On the night Israeli forces announced plans to seize Gaza City, a tent for journalists was hit, killing several reporters. Since then, targeted attacks have continued, aiming to instill fear and prevent coverage of killings, destruction, and the mass displacement of 1.5 million people.

Despite the danger, women journalists in Gaza press on. Recently, reporter Aya Jouda won the Shireen Abu Akleh Press Freedom Award 2025, named after the Al Jazeera correspondent killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank.

Aya Joudeh says working under constant bombardment and repeated forced displacement makes journalism in Gaza “almost impossible.” Each time families rebuild, Israeli forces order them to leave—Gaza City being a stark example.

She explained that her family endured severe hardship before they could adapt to life in the city, restoring services by digging wells, cleaning sewage lines, and repairing streets and homes. Now, after such sacrifices, Israeli forces demand they abandon the city, its concrete buildings, hospitals, and infrastructure, to live in tents stripped of basic services.

Jouda stresses that journalists are part of society, sharing its pain twice over—once personally, and again when carrying the microphone, camera, or pen to document the suffering. “Imagine hearing the name of a relative or friend while broadcasting live—what would that feel like?” she asks.

The greatest difficulty, she notes, is not just the constant danger threatening her and dozens of colleagues, but the human toll. Still, Palestinian women journalists are expected to remain steadfast, exposing Israeli crimes in the hope that one day accountability will come. She warns that the toll—physical and psychological—will surface soon on their bodies and lives.

Working under fear, destruction, and pressure, women journalists in Gaza push forward, convinced their role is not a luxury but a human duty toward a people abandoned by the world and subjected to genocide and forced displacement for nearly two years. Jouda says she draws strength from the resilience of families in camps and hospitals who encourage her to keep reporting.

As for the message behind Israel’s targeting of journalists, Jouda says: “It is a clear warning—those who refuse silence will meet the same fate.” This comes in parallel with Israel’s ground operation, intended to advance beyond the eyes of the media and conceal the massacres and devastation.

Despite the assassinations, women journalists in Gaza vow to continue. “Even if hundreds are killed, others will carry on,” Jouda says. Since the start of the war, she has lost many colleagues, turning grief into one of the hardest burdens for journalists, who see each loss as losing part of their family.

For Jouda, receiving the Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Press Freedom in such a moment of escalating violence is both an achievement and a beacon of hope. She dedicates it to her colleagues who lost their lives defending truth. “This award carries an important message,” she says. “The world is listening and watching—so we are not alone.”