LONDON: A Palestinian journalist made an impassioned appeal live on-air after his colleague, Mohammad Abu Hattab, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on Thursday.
Palestine TV’s journalist Salman Al-Bashir’s emotional plea brought the chancel’s presenter to tears as he shared the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict.
“We can’t bear this anymore. We are exhausted, we are here victims and martyrs awaiting our deaths, we are dying one after the other and no one cares about us or the large scale catastrophe and the crime in Gaza,” he said.
“No protection, no international protection at all, no immunity to anything, this protection gear does not protect us and not those helmets,” Al-Bashir continued, as he removed his own helmet and protective vest, which had “PRESS” inscribed in bright letters.
“These are just slogans that we are wearing, it doesn’t protect any journalist at all,” he said.
Palestine TV journalist Mohammad Abu Hattab was killed with his family in an Israeli airstrike. His colleague Salman Al-Bashir removes his protective gear marked PRESS on air saying: “We can’t take it anymore, we are exhausted. We are victims. The only difference between us is… pic.twitter.com/66gfbIpCWW
— Ambassador Majed Bamya (@majedbamya) November 2, 2023
As emotions ran high, Al-Bashir revealed the stark reality of the situation, saying: “Mohammad was with us just half an hour ago, and now he and his family lie lifeless in the same hospital.”
Mohammad Abu Hattab had been reporting live outside Nasser hospital in Gaza when he tragically lost his life during an Israeli airstrike while returning to his family.
News agency WAFA also reported the devastating loss of Hattab’s family, including his wife and brother.
The Palestinian death toll continues to rise due to weeks of Israeli air and artillery strikes, with over 9,000 casualties reported.
Of these, more than 3,600 Palestinian children have lost their lives, and over half of Gaza’s population has been displaced from their homes, with dwindling access to essential resources such as food, water, and fuel.
A group of UN experts, including seven special rapporteurs, has expressed grave concerns about the “risk of genocide” facing the Palestinian people in Gaza and has called for an immediate ceasefire.
Israel contends that its attacks are directed at Hamas, not civilians, and accuses the group of using civilians as human shields.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which governs Gaza, has led to a devastating toll on journalists.
Media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists reported that it has been the deadliest period for journalists in decades with least 33 journalists losing their lives since October, including 28 Palestinians, four Israelis, and one Lebanese citizen.
Last week, the Gaza bureau chief of Al Jazeera was reporting live in Gaza when he discovered an Israeli air raid had killed his wife, son, daughter, grandson, and at least eight other relatives.
