World

Journalist Motaz Azaiza showed the world what Palestinians endure in war. Now he's left Gaza

An independent Palestinian photojournalist whose social media coverage of the war in Gaza gave millions of people around the world a view of life and death in the besieged territory, has evacuated after surviving 108 days of reporting amid relentless bombings and battles.

Nearly 4-month-old war deadliest period for journalists on record, says Committee to Protect Journalists

Nick Logan · CBC News(Motaz Azaiza/Facebook)

Motaz Azaiza covered Israel's destructive bombardments of the Palestinian territory since Israel declared war against Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 militant attacks on Israeli communities.

In a video posted on his social media accounts Tuesday, Azaiza told his nearly 20 million followers he was laying down his blue "Press" flak jacket — for now. His caption read that he had to leave Gaza "for a lot of reasons," but he did not explain further.

"I'm sorry but, inshallah (God willing), hopefully soon I will come back … and help build Gaza again," he said in the video before sharing farewells with friends and colleagues surrounding him.

So, I had to evacuate for a lot of reasons you all know some of it but not all of it. Thank you all Pray for Gaza. <a href="https://t.co/sIqULe9d5V">pic.twitter.com/sIqULe9d5V</a>
—@azaizamotaz9

Azaiza persisted in documenting the brutal reality in Gaza despite the risks to his own life and as dozens of other journalists lost their lives or had loved ones killed in Israeli military attacks. The Committee to Protect Journalists last month accused the Israeli military of "an apparent pattern of targeting of journalists and their families" — which the Israeli government denies.

He departed for Qatar hours after his post, aboard a Qatari military aircraft, from Egypt's El Arish International Airport, about 45 kilometres east of the Rafah border crossing to Gaza — the territory's sole entry-exit point.

In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after arriving in Qatar, Azaiza said there was "no time to rest" and that he hoped to continue his work.

WATCH| Reporters Without Borders warns about safety of journalists in Gaza:

Israel-Hamas war results in deadliest month for journalists

2 months agoDuration 2:16Last month was the deadliest month on record for journalists in a war zone, according to a report from Reporters Without Borders. The report also says Israel is eradicating journalism in the territory and not ensuring the safety of journalists covering the conflict, something required by international humanitarian law.

Outside journalists not allowed into Gaza

As he did most every day for 16 weeks prior, Azaiza spent his final day with his mobile phone and DSLR cameras focused on what was happening on the ground in Gaza.

According to videos he shared on X, he visited an operating roomat the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, in Deir al-Balah, where doctors with the humanitarian organization MedGlobal performed surgery on an explosion victim.

Since the first Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, Azaiza has depicted the terror and anguish Palestinian civilians have experienced, along with occasional moments of calm amid an unrelenting catastrophe.

He became a go-to voice for people seeking first-hand reporting from Gaza. Israel has largely prevented outside journalists from entering the territory with the exception of those who have embedded with the Israel Defence Forces.

His Instagram account grew from a reported 25,000 followers before the outset of the violence to more than 18.2 million — more followers than U.S. President Joe Biden's official account on the platform.

One of his photos, an image of a young girl trapped in the rubble of a home the Israeli military bombed in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp on Oct. 31, was chosen as one of Time magazine's top 10 photographs of 2023.

A young girl stuck under her house rubble after being bombed by the Israeli warplanes. <a href="https://t.co/jrf1RAIqBI">pic.twitter.com/jrf1RAIqBI</a>
—@azaizamotaz9

"I go out in the day to cover and take pictures, but I hate mentioning what I have been through," he told Time. "I take pictures and record some videos on my phone; I post it and don't look back to it. It's not something human.

GQ Middle East also named Azaiza its "Man of the Year" for 2023 for his "unwavering courage," saying he "became a global figure, a vehicle of resilience, and the embodiment of hope for the people of Gaza and for the rest of us around the world."

Hind Khoudary, one of the Palestinian journalists seen sending off Azaiza, called him "an incredible friend and brother," saying in an Instagram post that his "actions towards Palestine and Gaza set a unique mark in history."

A man with a dark beard and glasses, wearing a black hoodie and pants, stands on a road between a man on his left and a woman on his right. — Motaz Azaiza, centre, with fellow Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary, right and another unidentified person, before leaving Gaza. Journalist killed in Israeli airstrike was like everyone's little brother, says colleague