In two weeks, Israel’s assault on Gaza will have lasted five months. It’s difficult to fathom that Palestinians have been under constant bombardment for all that time, the Gaza Strip having been pummelled with more than 65,000 tonnes of explosives.
As a result, almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 70,000 injured – the majority of them women and children. At least 7,000 people are missing. Journalists have also been targeted. According to the UN, more than 122 journalists and media professionals in Gaza have been killed: the deadliest conflict for members of the press in recent history.
One photojournalist who managed to survive is Motaz Azaiza, who I recently interviewed in Doha after he had just been evacuated from Gaza. Azaiza spent 107 days documenting the conflict, during which 15 members of his own family were killed. His harrowing accounts of the war are still fresh in my mind.
This was a difficult interview. While we have all come to appreciate Azaiza for his work, it’s important to remember that he is only 25 years old and has been directly affected by the unimaginable horrors he has captured on camera for the world to see. Although he is now safe, what he experienced will haunt him for ever. He has not had time to rest, let alone grieve.
For me, interviewing Azaiza highlighted the importance of trauma-informed journalism, which can help journalists to navigate sensitive situations with a thoughtful approach and prepared mindset to minimise their effect on survivors of traumatic events.
After nearly half a year, I’m left wondering, how much longer will this war go on? How many more innocent civilians must be killed? Thaslima Begum, reporter
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