A group of journalists at the Agence France-Presse news agency is sounding the alarm about conditions faced by colleagues working in Gaza, saying that “without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die.”
In a war-torn territory where Israel generally forbids outside journalists to enter, international news organizations like AFP, The Associated Press and Reuters rely on local teams to get out the news. They’ve been hampered by safety concerns and hunger in Gaza, where an estimated 59,000 people have died in the 21-month conflict, according to local health authorities.
The Society of Journalists at AFP, an association of professionals at the news agency, detailed what their Gaza colleagues are facing. AFP’s management said Tuesday that it shares concerns about the “appalling” situation and is working to evacuate its freelancers and their families.
Palestinians, struggling with hunger, wait to receive a hot meal distributed by a charity organization in Gaza City on Wednesday as people are unable to reach food.
Anadolu via Getty Images
“For months, we have watched helplessly as their living conditions deteriorated dramatically,” AFP said in a statement. “Their situation is now untenable, despite their exemplary courage, professional commitment, and resilience.”
One of AFP’s photographers, identified as Bashar, sent a message on social media over the weekend that “I no longer have the strength to work for the media. My body is thin and I can’t work anymore.”
Bashar has been working for AFP since 2010. Since February, he’s been living in the ruins of his home in Gaza City with his mother and other family members, and said one of his brothers had died of hunger, according to the journalists’ group.
Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh holds the hand of his son, Al-Jazeera cameraman Hamza Al-Dahdouh, who was killed alongside freelance video journalist Mustafa Thuraya, who also worked for AFP, in an Israeli drone strike in early 2024.
Anadolu via Getty Images
The journalists receive a monthly salary from AFP, but exorbitant prices leave them unable to purchase much food.
Another AFP worker, Ahlam, said that every time she leaves her shelter to cover an event or do an interview, “I don’t know if I’ll come back alive.” Her biggest issue is the lack of food and water, she said.
Since AFP was founded in 1944, the Society of Journalists said that “we have lost journalists in conflicts, some have been injured, others taken prisoner. But none of us can ever remember seeing colleagues die of hunger.”
“We refuse to watch them die,” the society said.
Palestinians carry sacks of flour unloaded from a humanitarian aid convoy that reached Gaza City from the northern Gaza Strip on July 22.
via Associated Press
AFP has been working with one freelance writer, three photographers, and six freelance videographers in Gaza since its staff journalists left in 2024.