Gaza – In an attempt to isolate the northern Gaza Strip governorate, the Israeli occupation forces sought to forcibly exclude the media from coverage so that they would not convey to the world the truth about their genocide against the population.
While it succeeded in forcing traditional media teams, such as international news agencies and satellite channels, to leave, many journalists decided to remain in the sector despite the harsh working conditions, bearing the burden of exposing the crimes and massacres of the Israeli occupation against the population, ignoring the great danger facing them and their families.
These journalists were able to document many of the occupation’s massacres and convey them to the world, despite their limited capabilities and lack of the most basic elements of journalistic work.
Journalist “Son of the People”
Despite being directly threatened by an Israeli intelligence officer, the bombing of his house, and the martyrdom of his father, Manhattan Tribune correspondent Anas Al-Sharif decided to continue working under very difficult conditions in his area, where there is no coverage, there is no electricity, internet, or transportation, and even food and drink are available with great difficulty.
Al-Sharif told Manhattan Tribune Net that the motivation that makes him endure the difficult circumstances in the north is his feeling of responsibility towards reporting the crimes of the occupation. He says, “I am the son of the people, and when I found myself the only voice for Manhattan Tribune in the north, leaving for me became equivalent to betrayal.” He adds, “We continue to work without… “One thing, my cell phone is almost everything, so if its battery runs out, the coverage stops.”
Al-Sharif continues, “In order to get access to the Internet, we risk ourselves by climbing to a high place in order to catch the Internet signal from an Israeli or electronic SIM card to send the video material.”
Regarding the most difficult moments that Al-Sharif mentions, he says, “Despite the tragedy of the stories he prepared, the scene of the panic of mothers whose children were kidnapped by the occupation soldiers remains the most difficult,” adding, “The panic of the mother who was waiting to know the fate of her children in front of the tanks. Were they killed, captured, or will they return? It was the most painful for him.” Lee, they were calling on us and we were powerless to do anything.”
Al-Sharif says about the bombing of his house and the martyrdom of his father on December 11, “It was difficult, especially since I had not seen my father for a long time, and he missed me and wanted to see me.” He points out that his father supported him greatly, and recommended that he continue his work. Exposing the crimes of the occupation to the whole world.
shell during the interview
While journalist Muhammad Arab was narrating to Manhattan Tribune Net an incident in which he and other colleagues had been exposed, earlier, to direct targeting by six shells near Al Awda Hospital, from which he miraculously survived, a shell fell in front of a car in which he was located in Jabalia camp, without him being harmed.
Arab was speaking to Manhattan Tribune Net in a voice message via the WhatsApp application, saying, “The most difficult suffering we have ever lived..”, before hearing the sound of a large explosion. In a second message, Arab said, “Now, now, targeting next to us, and I am recording with you… a shell next to us,” before… He asks for some time before completing the dialogue.
Arab, who works for the Al-Arabi satellite channel, points out that the most difficult thing facing media professionals in the northern Gaza Strip is “witnessing the great pain to which citizens are exposed, and the inability of parents to protect their children.”
Speaking to Manhattan Tribune Net, he pointed to the harsh conditions in the North Governorate, and said, “Words cannot describe the scenes. Women and children are sleeping in the streets. The shelter centers do not have any capabilities.”
He says that the national motive is what motivates them to continue their work despite the severe risks, adding, “If we stop covering, who will convey to the world the truth about the genocide that is taking place?”
Between consolation and coverage
Journalist Imad Zaqout points out that journalists in the northern region face great challenges, the first of which is his personal security, the security of his family and providing their necessities, then meeting the almost impossible work requirements.
Zaqout, who works for Manhattan Tribune, gives an example of the daily routine of northern journalists, saying, “Yesterday, we were in Jabalia to cover, when a raid targeted a house next to us, and we miraculously escaped from the scattering of stones and shrapnel.”
Among the difficult memories that Zaqout went through was the bombing of his wife’s family’s home and the martyrdom of most of them. He had to offer her condolences, then he left her to continue press coverage. Three hours later, he received the news that his colleague Anas Al-Sharif’s house had been targeted and his father had been martyred, so he went to console him and participate in the burial.
Zaqout went through many difficult situations, but he does not forget that night when he and his fellow journalists were forced to sleep two meters away from the bodies of about 35 unidentified martyrs in Kamal Adwan Hospital. He describes this situation by saying, “It was a difficult and horrific thing.”
Routine in the line of fire
Journalist Islam Badr begins his work, accompanied by his media colleagues, at seven in the morning by moving to the heart of Jabalia camp to monitor the movement of people, and to explore the place where the Israeli occupation mechanisms have reached from eyewitnesses, to learn “how to move to avoid dangers.”
Although Badr, who works for the Al-Arabi channel, prepares a daily work agenda, he usually does not adhere to it, as the ongoing occupation massacres impose themselves on his course of work. Before nightfall, Badr, along with his fellow journalists, searches for a place to spend the night, as there is no fixed place for this purpose. It may be a shelter center in a school or the home of a journalist or friend.
Like other journalists, Badr was subjected to many direct targets, including the bombing of the “Jabalia Martyrs Medical Center,” part of which was destroyed while he was inside, but he “miraculously survived.” Badr told Manhattan Tribune Net, “Working conditions are very harsh. We are exposed to danger, as are the displaced and the population.” “The death machine does not differentiate between a journalist, a child, or a displaced person.”
Badr points out the problem of the lack of mobile phones in the market, which threatens journalistic work. He says in this regard, “If a journalist loses his mobile phone, he will inevitably stop working, as there are no phones for sale. I know a journalist whose house was bombed, his family was martyred, and his mobile phone was lost, so he stopped covering for this reason.” .
Badr admits that leaving the North Governorate had tempted him for a period of time, but in the end he made up his mind in favor of continuing the coverage. He says, “I am not a superman. Yes, I thought about leaving, but I did not do it, and I decided in the end to stay. Coverage has become an absolute obligation for those who do it.” The rest of the journalists.”
