AFP reporters, starving and exhausted, chronicle Gaza\’s devastation
Palestinian Journalists Grapple with Hunger While Covering Gaza’s Crisis
Worsening Food Needs Hamper Reporting Efforts
AFP reporters stationed in the Gaza Strip report that relentless shortages of food and potable water have become a pressing barrier to comprehensive war coverage. Journalists, exhausted from both conflict and starvation, have had to limit their fieldwork. As one correspondent notes, “the lack of sustenance leaves us depleted of the focus required to document the conflict.”
UN Condemns Alleged “Weaponisation of Food”
The United Nations accused Israel of using food aid as a strategic weapon, describing the practice as a war crime. Critics argue that aid agencies have faced mounting warnings of widespread malnutrition, especially with several hundred civilians seeking relief reported as “killed” and injured by military operations.
Conflicting Narratives on Military Conduct
- Israel claims humanitarian assistance is entering Gaza and blames Hamas actors for exploiting civilian suffering. The claim includes accusations that Hamas fighters purchase aid distributions, inflating prices or directing fire at aid lines.
- Israeli officials and Gaza’s civil‑defence bodies report repeated hostile fire on aid seekers, a fact the UN states has resulted in over a thousand casualties among those attempting to collect food.
Personal Stories of Exhaustion
- Bashar Taleb (35) – A Pulitzer‑nominee photographer who has lived in the wreckage of his Jabalia home. He says the constant search for food has left him emotionally drained.
- Omar al‑Qattaa (35) – Lives in the remnants of his wife’s family’s house, struggling with the weight of his equipment and the debilitating effect of culinary deprivation. He highlights the scarcity of essential medications and nutrients.
- Khadr Al‑Zanoun (45) – Reported losing 30 kilograms of weight, experiencing chronic headaches, and diminishing productivity due to chronic food and water deprivation.
Displacement and the Toll on Family Life
Eyad Baba (47), a photographer displaced from Rafah to Deir el‑Balah, shares that the relentless hunger impacts both him and his children, urging a sense of frustration as safety, counting the call to cover the violence alongside an appetite for daily survival.
Medical Crisis Looms Amid Scarcity
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al‑Shifa hospital, cautions on the escalating death toll triggered by malnutrition. He mentions 21 children who have succumbed to starvation over the past three days, preempting further casualties.
Financial Strain Exacerbates Food Woes
- Ahlam Afana (30) highlights the grave cash crisis: ATMs charge up to 45% fees and grocery prices soar. She recounts that a kilo of flour can cost 100–150 shekels ($30–45), with rice, sugar, pasta, and oil priced similarly high.
- The cost of fuel, though scarce, is prohibitive, leaving many unable to traverse even short distances without higher transport costs.
Journalists Reaching the Limits of Endurance
Reporters Without Borders recorded that over 200 journalists have lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict’s escalation. Still, dedicated press members like Youssef Hassouna (48) continue, characterizing each captured frame as a possible lasting trace of lives consumed by war.
“I Prefer Death Over This Life”—A Somber Reflection
AFP staff member Zuheir Abu Atileh (60) speaks of a bleak outlook, weighing the ongoing erosion of strength against a painful sense of surrender. He summarizes a widespread discontent, saying, “We’re exhausted, collapsing, and enough is enough.”
