Gaza, February 13, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli forces open fire on everything; they do not distinguish between man, woman, child, elderly, tree ......etc. Everything on the ground is targeted by Israeli forces. The Palestinian journalist can use various tools in order to depict the tragic reality of the Palestinian life as pen, paper, and microphone and the most important tool of which is the camera.
The Palestinian journalists believe that the world will not accept as true or imagine the extent of hideousness of what happens on the Palestinian territories without taking photos .Therefore, Israeli forces target the camera and its holder in order to prevent these photos to reach the world because Israel does not want to be pariah and hated state by the world.
Body Parts Flying
Mohammad AL-Baba, photojournalist working for France press Agency , believes that photojournalist is more than just a person works in media field; he is a human being before being a journalist and a Palestinian citizen, so he/ she exposed to many difficult and risky situations. AL-Baba exposed to different difficult and risky situations affecting his psychological state extremely.
He recalled some of difficult situations and said, "number of photojournalists and I went to Jabalia in order to cover the Israeli invasion there. Suddenly, the Israeli spy plane fired 4 rockets into four freedom fighters who were 50 meters away from us; their bodies' parts and the missiles fragments were scattered over the area."
"We saw human being when he died and saw parts of his body flying in front of us and we might have killed but God survive us in order to convey the real image of what is going on Gaza Strip to all people all over the world." AL-Baba talked with tearful eyes.
He pointed out that he experienced difficult events and scenes and the most difficult event of which was an event occurred during operations hot winter. "The Israeli forces shelled group of citizens, including civilians and freedom fighters. The parts of their bodies were being flying and being torn; I could not capture an image for a youth whose body was completely burned; he was dying and there was no any able to do any thing in order to save him. Actually, it was painful and affective scene." AL-Baba said.
I Still Hear His Breath
"I always imagine his face and hear his last breath; I hated camera and hoped to leave my profession when I was not able to help him" he added with strangled voice.
Ayman AL-khadeeb is a photojournalist and has another story. Ayman and his colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh were at Beit Lahia in order to make interviews with people there. They finished their task and wanted to leave the region but they could not because the Israeli tanks surrounded the region. "We did not see any Israeli tank when we entered the region. When we wanted to leave the place where we made interviews with people, we suddenly saw the Israeli tanks closed the street from where we entered to the region. Then, we held back in the region from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m." AL-khadeeb described the situation.
khadeeb pointed out that his colleague Walid AL-Omari, Al-Jazera reporter, talked with the spokesman of Israeli army which in turn replied that the Israeli army is not responsible for the existence of any body in the field and the Israeli soldier takes only his /her own instructions in the battle field. The Israeli army withdrew at the end of the day and AL-khadeeb and his colleagues left the place.
"We spent most of our time inside the car upon the order of the Israeli soldiers; The Israeli bulldozer was beside us all the time till they withdrew and then we were able to exit"
Iyad AL-Baba, photojournalist working for Al-Ayyam daily newspaper, has another suffering with occupation. "The Israeli tank did not distinguish between child, woman, journalist and doctor. Although we took caution and maintained our safety as far as possible, but the will of our God is above all things" Iyad AL-Baba said
photo vice verse Body
AL-Baba experienced the most difficult event in Rafah. "I faced the first shock and event in Rafah. I was taking a photo of Israeli tank when it invaded Yebna refugee camp while I was based on a wall and there three youths and little kid were beside me. Suddenly, shell fired from the tank at us. Then, I lay on the ground quickly. When the situation was being calm, I raised my head in order to see the impacts of the tank shell behind me. I was panic when I saw the parts of the youth bodies scattered on my body"
"I felt extreme fear at that moment .I felt my profession is the profession of trouble and misery. If there is no photojournalist in Gaza, the world will not see like this scene" AL-Baba added.
In addition, AL-Baba pointed out that targeting photojournalist is not strange for Gaza photojournalist. However, targeting them by Israel soldiers is increasing without slightest movement of the world or of the centers which call for the rights of journalists and their protection
Photojournalists suffer a lot and face the tanks of occupation by their bodies and cameras. The photos of some photojournalists reached the most remote places in the world and debunked occupation's claims and those continue taking photos for Israeli crimes and publishing them. Others paid with their life for taking these photos. This is the case of the Palestinians and the reality of the Palestinian territories which considered the hottest area in the world in terms of the multitude of events and conflicts. The nature of this reality has increased the workload on the Palestinian journalists and relied on them to serve their nation through conveying the real images for the whole world.
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