Reporting From Gaza
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
The Reporter’s Notebook is our monthly interview series with Dial contributors. This week, we are publishing a special dispatch on reporting in Gaza. To receive these conversations directly in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
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As of November 8, 39 journalists are known to have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war; three others have been reported missing. Journalists working in Gaza City have had to transmit information while facing bombs and internet blackouts. The Dial interviewed Mahmoud Mushtaha — a Gaza-based journalist and activist who, in the last month, has written about the death of Palestinian families and what comes after the war — about how he and his colleagues are continuing to do their work even while their homes are under attack. This interview has been edited for clarity.
03 November 2023, Palestinian Territories, Khan Yunis: A Palestinian man inspects the damaged home of the Palestine TV journalist Muhammad Abu Hatab, who was killed along with his family members during an Israeli bombing of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo by: Mohammed Talatene/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
THE DIAL: What is the situation like where you are? What are you seeing? What are people saying?
MAHMOUD MUSHTAHA: The situation in Gaza has reached a dire state, characterized by a severe lack of electricity, water, and food. The people of Gaza are gripped by waves of fear and horror as Israeli airstrikes continue to unleash devastating acts of violence and destruction, leading to the loss of countless innocent lives. Entire families have been wiped out from official records, leaving a grim testament to the ongoing tragedy.
The healthcare sector in Gaza is on the brink of collapse, with critical shortages of medicine and hospital beds. According to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israel’s relentless attacks have targeted 111 healthcare facilities, including 20 hospitals, 50 clinics, and 42 ambulances as of November 6. Many hospitals have been forced out of service due to a lack of fuel to power their generators, further exacerbating the crisis.
A humanitarian catastrophe has unfolded as Israel has imposed a “total blockade” on the besieged strip, making it nearly impossible for essential supplies to reach the suffering population. Desperation has become the norm, and the people of Gaza can only hope for a swift end to their immense suffering.
Anas Abu Maraq, a resident of Gaza, echoes the sentiments of many as he questions the role of the United Nations and international law in addressing the ongoing crisis, saying, “We can’t bear more than this. We are facing a catastrophe,” Anas Abu Maraq, a resident of Gaza, told me. “Where is the United Nations? What is the role of international law?”
THE DIAL: You’ve continued to write for +972 and elsewhere throughout the past month. How have you been reporting? How have you been working with colleagues elsewhere for example? How have you been able to reach people despite the internet blackout?
MM: At the onset of this attack, I was working as a freelance journalist for publications such as +972, The New Arab, and CTXT News. However, my ability to carry out my work was abruptly disrupted when the power supply was cut and the internet service ceased in my neighborhood. A week ago, I managed to return to my work, but the challenges persist.
As of now, I find myself encountering numerous obstacles in my efforts to complete my journalistic responsibilities. I can only manage to work for approximately 8 to 15 hours per week, a fraction of my usual capacity. Many of my colleagues are spread across various regions, including the South, North, and Gaza City, and we all face considerable difficulties in maintaining communication and coordination. Despite our best efforts, we have thus far been unable to establish a reliable online connection.
Being a journalist in Gaza has always presented its own set of challenges, but the situation has become even more daunting, particularly following the internet blackout. The blackout has further complicated our ability to report and share information, making our work as journalists in Gaza incredibly arduous during these trying times.
THE DIAL: How are people in Gaza getting information about what is happening? How is information circulating inside Gaza?
MM: Honestly, people in Gaza are cut off from the world, devoid of the latest news, unable to ascertain the well-being of their cherished ones. They exist in a void, without internet access or any means of communication. The sole lifeline, for a few, is through radio airwaves.
THE DIAL: How are you maintaining your own personal safety?
MM: We can’t maintain our safety, there is no safety. Our safety remains elusive, a distant dream, amidst the relentless Israeli assault. The trauma of losing our loved ones haunts us daily, as we bid farewell to relatives and friends without respite. Even donning a helmet and a press vest can’t provide the security we so desperately seek. Israel’s actions cast a long shadow over our lives. We are all traumatized in Gaza! Just need this trauma and pain to end soon.
✺ Interview conducted by The Dial in conjunction with “Issue 10: Fakes”
MAHMOUD MUSHTAHA is a Gaza-based freelance journalist and human rights activist. He has reported for +972, The New Arab, and more.
MADELEINE SCHWARTZ is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Dial.