Palestinian women in general and journalists, in particular, have set the bar with their resilience against what is now largely perceived as the most well-documented genocide of this century.
This Women’s Day, the world paid tribute to their untiring efforts, yet it is important to mention here that it is not enough since the besieged strip has been wreaked for more than six months now.
Palestinian journalists observed in real time the tragedy that women and children are experiencing due to the devastating war since October 7 last year.
At least 63 women in Gaza are killed daily as a result of the Israeli war, with the majority being mothers, The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported on Friday.
“On International Women’s Day, the women in Gaza continue to endure the consequences of this brutal war,” the agency shared. “At least 9,000 women have been killed, and many more are under the rubble,” the statement added.
Hind Khoudary
Hind Khoudary is one such face the world is now fully familiar with because of her on-ground reporting and the compassion she has shown over time. She was paid tribute to by her fellow journalist Ali Jadallah in an Instagram post where he praised her for her commitment to her profession and towards Gaza.
However, he added, “As the ‘International Women’s Day’ is celebrated around the world on March 8th, Palestinian women start to work with the first hours of the day to provide for their families despite the difficulties experienced amid Israeli attacks.”
Hind, 28-years-old, has been working in the media since 2017. In an interview with Anadolu, she pointed out that the current situation in the Gaza Strip affects all Palestinian women regardless of their professions.
“While the world celebrates Women’s Day, Palestinian women are being displaced from their homes,” she said. “I am not just a journalist covering the war. Rather, I am a displaced person. I left my family and my husband and chose, despite the circumstances, to remain in Gaza and cover the war,” she added further.
In one of her posts on Instagram, she shared how she doesn’t have clean clothes to wear anymore and how she struggles hard during her periods. “I am also wearing two pants above each other because I don’t have any joggers anymore. The last time I showered was ten days ago. On my period for the second time during the past 30 days and yet I am still standing despite all the cramps,” Hind wrote.
Noor Hrazeen
Noor is a TV presenter and a reporter who has been reporting about the ongoing situation in Gaza. She made a huge sacrifice by evacuating her children from Gaza just for them to be able to have food and water but she remained in Gaza to continue reporting about the havoc endured by Palestinians.
In one of her posts, she wrote: “It’s hard to work in a location, where you know that there is dead bodies still stuck under the rubble. But it’s a story that should be told.”
Roba Khaled
Roba is a Palestinian journalist who has shown sheer commitment to her job even when her children were sick or when Israel was bombing buildings in real-time.
Doaa Albaaz
Doaa, 27, a photographer, reports the horrors befallen upon Gazans by the Israeli forces. “On International Women’s Day, we want to convey the image of women who are subjected to the most horrific massacres in Gaza,” she said in an interview with Anadolu.
“During this war, the occupation targeted women, children, and innocent people,” she pointed out. “We lack everything, including privacy. There are no bathrooms, and we struggle to convey the real picture,” Baz asserted.
Duaa Tuaima
Duaa Tuaima is a photojournalist whose Instagram is a window that opens into the reality of the suffering in Gaza.
She mostly documents the women and children of Gaza and how they are struggling to grapple with starvation and siege.
Bisan Owda
Bisan is another popular name. A storyteller and filmmaker by profession from northern Gaza, Bisan has been documenting the displacements, bombings, and genocide in Gaza from day one. Her vlogs and videos in collaboration with different platforms are raw and insightful. “Hi, this Is Bisan from Gaza and I am still alive” is the line she says at the beginning of every vlog and it is ironically sad and hopeful at the same time.
In one of her videos, she featured an Israeli jet and said, “I grew up with this sound, it’s not new…”
In another, she posted about living in fear since the war started. “For 150 days, I have been afraid of cement ceilings. I do not want to be crushed to death when a missile lands. I sleep in a tent, and I am like hundreds of thousands suffering cold at times, heat at times, and disease and hunger at other times,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Sumayya Wushah
11-year-old war reporter Sumayya Wushah was featured in Al Jazeera’s videos as Gaza’s youngest journalist reporting about the destruction in a confident tone. She is inspired by Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al-Jazeera journalist who was killed by the Israeli army in 2022.
The list could be longer. These journalists are inspiring women from all around the world for their strength and the cause they stand for.
