Global media outlets and press freedom groups on Monday called for better protection of journalists in Gaza and access for international reporters. RFI correspondent Rami El Meghari described the enclave as a place where "nowhere is safe" for reporters or civilians, yet covering the news remains vital.
RFI: On 1 September Reporters Without Borders launched a campaign to support journalists in Gaza. How do you view this initiative?
REM: For me, a long-time journalist for Radio France Internationale, it matters a lot – especially in this crucial period when journalists are being targeted one way or another by Israeli military actions. So we say thank you.
RFI: More than 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza in almost two years. Tell us about the danger.
REM: That is a good question. I think in Gaza, nobody – not even journalists – can feel safe. Wherever I am, as a journalist, as a human being, as a civilian in Gaza, I never feel safe. Even at home, in my own house, I never feel safe.
I come from the Meghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. In January 2024 Israel forced refugees to leave for the south of Gaza because the army was preparing to intervene. I had to pack my things, gather my family and we went by truck to Rafah. I left my home. In that house, in Meghazi, I used to sit in a corner. That exact spot was later hit by a large brick from a nearby house struck in an air raid. The window shattered and the brick fell where I used to sit with my coffee and work, before the Israeli invasion of Meghazi.
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RFI: You have escaped Israeli strikes and shooting several times while reporting…
REM: Nowhere in Gaza feels safe. You cross the street and there could be a strike. As soon as you move, you could face death or injury. Sometimes you are forced to go to places where strikes are happening, where Israeli actions are taking place. Even if you take precautions to do your reporting, there is always something that makes you feel in danger.
RFI: Despite this you keep working and reporting on the ground.
REM: As a reporter working in this job for 25 years, it has always felt like a duty to do everything I can to tell this story to the world. Especially now, when there are no foreign journalists here in Gaza. So it is my responsibility. I also have an obligation to myself and my family. Because this is the nature of my work, as a freelancer. If I do not work, it means I starve – I will have nothing to eat and I cannot feed my family. If I work, I can survive. Without it, I cannot live and we will not be able to cope.
RFI: Gaza is now the deadliest place in the world for journalists. Is this always on your mind?
REM: Of course, I always have that in mind. That is why I want to leave and be evacuated from Gaza. Can you imagine? I have been trying, with RFI’s help, since February 2024. Just a few months after the war began. February was my first attempt to get out. Because I always felt the situation was becoming more and more dangerous. It is no longer liveable. Not only for me as a journalist, but also as a father, caring for my children, who need a better present and a better future. Both the present and the future are missing in Gaza now. It is my dream to leave this place with RFI’s help.
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RFI: Tell us what a typical day is like for a journalist in Gaza.
REM: A typical day starts with looking for basic needs, like water. You have to make sure you always have water, wherever you are. You have to make sure your family has food – for breakfast, for lunch. You have to make sure the electricity works, to charge your phone, to charge your LED lamps.
So a journalist's day is quite intense. You are torn between your duties as a reporter and your duties as head of the family, responsible for your loved ones.
I have to wake up early to follow the latest news, take care of daily tasks for my family, then start my working day. I must find a subject, go to dangerous areas to meet people, give a voice to those who do not have one, and produce a report for RFI.
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RFI: Your colleague Rami Abou Jamous, also a journalist in Gaza, told us recently: “The Israeli army wants to bury reality.” Do you agree?
REM: Honestly, I cannot say. I cannot judge myself whether Israel wants to stifle the truth. But I can ask Israel this question: why do you forbid foreign journalists from entering Gaza?
RFI: How can we help you and all the journalists in Gaza?
REM: How can you help us? Do everything possible so that the French government lifts its decision to freeze the evacuation of journalists from Gaza. Then myself and others will be able to leave.
This interview was conducted by RFI's Arnaud Pontus.
