Gaza reporter admits withholding footage of Israeli hostages being abused

A journalist and photographer in Gaza documented the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. In an interview earlier this month, the reporter, Motaz Azaiza, said he concealed footage he had filmed of Gaza residents abusing Israeli hostages because he feared publishing it could lead to the identification and killing of those involved.

“I saw the vehicle of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and there were Israeli captives there,” Azaiza told the host Ahmed Biqui on the podcast Taqarrab.

“People got out, watched, beat them, hit them, and I followed them and filmed. But I did not publish those videos. Why? Because I did not want to ruin the lives of the people who were filmed,” he explained. "I understood that Israel would use those videos to identify every person who was there and eliminate them."

He added: "I did not want to be responsible, even indirectly, for the deaths of those people in exchange for a few likes and views online,” he added.

In April 2024, Azaiza was featured on TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024. He was also nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian lawmaker Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik for his documentation of conditions in Gaza.

The 27-year-old reporter has expressed support for what he describes as “armed resistance,” while also sharply criticizing Hamas and its handling of the war.

“I support armed resistance, but one that brings results, or at least gives me the feeling that my life is valuable in the eyes of the resistance. Why should a Palestinian be cheap in the eyes of Palestinians themselves? You are making people hate the resistance with your own hands,” Azaiza said.

“From October 7 until today, show me one Palestinian who lives in Gaza and was protected by Hamas’s weapons? No one in Gaza received protection from those weapons,” he continued.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of embedding its military infrastructure and operatives in civilian areas, including hospitals, schools, mosques and residential buildings. Israel has also accused Hamas of preventing or discouraging civilians from using its extensive underground tunnel network for shelter, while Hamas has denied or disputed various Israeli allegations concerning its conduct during the war.

During the interview, Azaiza also criticized Hamas leaders over the destruction and suffering in Gaza.

“I am not waiting two years to judge whether Hamas made mistakes. I see the mistake in front of my eyes, when people are dying every day. Now they are talking about an agreement in which they will agree to lay down their weapons. You could have agreed to that already on October 11, 2023. Why was it so important that tens of thousands would be killed? On what table did you put the Palestinian issue? You brought us back to the Middle Ages. You caused women in Gaza to urinate into a plastic bucket. This does not bother you, but what bothers you is if someone suddenly criticizes you?”

Azaiza also said he faced a backlash after posting a video in which a civilian in Gaza was heard cursing Hamas.

“When I uploaded a video in which a civilian could be heard cursing Hamas, I faced enormous backlash. Photographers in Gaza have become accustomed to lowering their cameras the moment someone says something bad about Hamas, because anyone who dares to show reality is persecuted relentlessly,” he said.

Azaiza concluded by describing his complex love-hate relationship with Gaza.

“Gaza is the most toxic place in the world. You love it, but at the same time you hate it. You love it, but it hurts you and destroys you. The reality there forced things upon me that I never wanted. The price we pay to satisfy leaders who do not count us is simply unimaginable,” he said.