“Is it worth it?” The question hit me like a slap. A volunteer from the United States was asking about Palestinian journalists risking their lives to document the weekly settler incursions in the Old City of Al-Khalil/Hebron. Around the world, people often view taking photos as a privilege—not something worth risking your life for.
In the U.S., journalists have the right to gather news. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and the press. Journalists can access public places like sidewalks and parks to do their reporting.
But in Palestine, it’s different. Here, no one has the right to do anything, and in fact, it is incredibly dangerous. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, since October 7th, 2023, 180 journalists have been injured, 86 wounded, and 152 killed by the occupation forces.
In Gaza, documenting the bombing, destruction, and violent attacks literally costs journalists their lives.
In the U.S., journalists are also protected under the Fourth Amendment from unreasonable searches and seizures. This means that police can’t search someone’s belongings without a warrant. There are exceptions, such as preventing severe injury or the destruction of evidence. Police may briefly detain and search someone if they reasonably suspect the person is armed or about to commit a crime. However, they usually can’t search a journalist’s phone or camera without a warrant.
But do these global laws apply to Palestinians?
To better understand the situation of the press in Palestine, I spoke with Palestinian journalist Mosaab Shawar, who has been working in the field for 14 years. Mosaab didn’t choose journalism because of his studies but because of his passion for it. For him, journalism is a form of documenting his people’s suffering—his way of contributing to the ongoing struggle for his country.
Mosaab tries to practice his profession under Israeli laws, as Palestinians are forced to follow them. Most of his work involves documenting the Israeli occupation army’s assaults. According to Israeli law, journalists must stay 20 meters from soldiers and have the right to take photos. However, these laws are theoretical and often not applied in practice. Every officer in the field makes their own rules. Sometimes, Mosaab could take photos up close, but many times, he couldn’t capture anything.
Since October 7th, his work has become even more dangerous. On the first day of the war, Mosaab was shot in the foot while trying to document a scene. Despite identifying himself as a journalist with his camera and equipment, the soldier shot him anyway. On the third day, he came under fire while documenting another incident.
Soldiers have confiscated his cameras, destroyed his equipment, and seized his phone. Before the war, journalists were often detained and arrested, but now direct attacks have intensified. He recalls being held in a military tower for six and a half hours simply for being a journalist. Handcuffed, blindfolded, and sitting there, he kept asking himself, “Why am I here?” But no clear answer was given.
These attacks on journalists didn’t start on October 7th. There is a long history of targeting Palestinian journalists. The Mossad assassinated Ghassan Kanafani in 1972, and Israeli forces shot Shireen Abu Akleh while wearing a blue press vest and covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp.
But none of this has stopped Palestinians from continuing their work. Every year, hundreds of Palestinian students study journalism. Journalists are present at every incident across Palestine. Taking photos isn’t just a job—it’s our way to resist, exist, preserve our history, and keep our story alive.
So, is it worth it or not?
