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During the Gaza conflict, journalists shared their painful stories of loss and survival, expressing deep frustration over the international community’s silence in response to the killing of media personnel by Israeli forces.
At the 2025 International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, a panel of journalists described the emotional toll and dangers they endured while reporting from Gaza, describing a sense of “abandonment” as they witnessed violence against the press firsthand.
Wael Al-Dahdouh, an Al Jazeera journalist who lost five family members—including his wife—in Israeli strikes and found his daughter alive beneath the rubble, questioned, “What did my family do?” He described the harsh reality of covering the war, where journalists feel torn between their role as reporters and their humanity.
Al-Dahdouh also criticized the international media’s inadequate response to the violence, stating, “We were left alone,” and emphasized that much more support was needed. Data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) revealed that at least 238 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel since October 7, 2023.
Rawan Damen, a senior journalist with Al Araby TV, commended Al-Dahdouh’s balanced coverage and contrasted it with the mainstream international media’s failure to address what some are calling a “genocide,” noting that independent outlets and organizations have been more vocal.
French journalist Laurent Richard warned of the dangerous consequences of inaction, highlighting how the killing of journalists has become normalized and accountability is lacking.
Basel Khalaf, another reporter on the ground, described Gaza’s transformation from a “large prison” to a “large cemetery,” urging the global media to go beyond statistics and focus on human stories. He emphasized the urgent needs of Gaza’s journalists, including vital equipment, medical treatment for the injured, and freedom for those detained by Israel, calling on the international press to keep the story alive.
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