I went looking back through the posts of journalists from Gaza before this latest bombardment and felt deeply bereft and angry. Motaz Azaiza used to capture beautiful portraits, showcasing the beauty of Gaza and the Palestinian people. Now he captures their genocide.

He captured the sunset’s beautiful colours melting on to Gaza’s beaches and the thrill and joy of travelling the world. Him opening new camera lenses he thought he’d use to capture the beauty of Gaza and its people better. How many people in that graduation video are still alive?

I urge you to read his latest post. This isn’t some unavoidable tragedy. This is an organised 75 year long genocide that requires each and every one of us to call for a ceasefire now and an end to this occupation forever. They never signed up to be heroes.

They are people who had their own lives, families, homes, dreams, stories to share, skills to develop, talents to showcase, projects to pursue, countries to visit, memories to make, lives to build. This occupation is murdering them in every single way. It murders people’s hopes.

It robs them of their time. They are in survival mode always. Dreams are limited to being able to live to see the next day, next hour, next minute. These people aren’t superhuman, they’ve been forced into an impossible and deeply unjust situation built upon international silence.

What is extraordinary is the international green light to brutality, genocide and oppression happening against them, that breaks every one of the international laws that the hypocritical West itself set.

It is an utter stain on humanity that any of these journalists are even begging for protection. That they’ve had to witness what they witness. That they are appealing to a world, who has seen their own family, friends, neighbours be killed in front of them

and they’re still covering it for you to bear witness and do as little as share. They want to live. They need to live. May Allah protect them and their families always. Justice for every minute lost of their lives just fighting for their right to live.

May they live to see a liberated Palestine and resume all their dreams and create new ones free from occupation.

@fatimazsaid This poor man looks broken. I cannot imagine the horror that he has seen and documented. The futility of it all. 💔

@hausofriya They took his smiling eyes. I pray for his safety, considering they're targeting the press now.