Gaza photojournalist says he has unpublished footage of hostage assault — Jerusalem Post
In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza said that on October 7, 2023, he filmed the beating of Israeli hostages but did not publish the footage. As a Jerusalem Post editorial writes, he explained in a podcast that he feared Israel would identify and kill the people captured on camera.
The publication's editorial board noted that the journalist could have blurred faces in the video, described what he saw, or submitted the material for independent verification. The Jerusalem Post believes the footage should be preserved and provided for independent verification while protecting the victims.
Claims of Hamas pressure
According to the editorial, Azaiza also spoke about pressure and threats from Hamas against journalists in Gaza. He said photographers lowered their cameras when Palestinians criticized the group, and he also condemned Hamas leadership over the consequences for Gaza.
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The Jerusalem Post also mentioned a report by Indian television channel NDTV. In August 2014, the channel filmed preparations for a rocket launch near its hotel in Gaza and the launch itself. The material was released after the team had left, with the channel explaining that Hamas was hostile to such coverage.
Data on journalists and Al Jazeera employees
The article also states that the Committee to Protect Journalists reported removing eight names from its database of the dead after those people were identified as Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters. Another 12 names were removed for other reasons. The database review began after obituaries by the groups described some individuals previously listed as journalists as fighters.
Separately, the Jerusalem Post drew attention to reports about the termination of contracts with 24 Al Jazeera employees in Gaza. The organization StandWithUs said several employees whose contracts were terminated were mentioned in a U.S. lawsuit by Shurat HaDin concerning alleged material support for terrorist organizations. At the same time, StandWithUs acknowledged that no established link exists between the contract terminations and the lawsuit, while the Gulf Center for Human Rights reported that the employees had been offered freelance arrangements.
