The journalists’ association of Agence France-Presse (AFP) has issued a stark warning that its remaining team members in Gaza are on the brink of starvation due to Israel’s ongoing blockade and aerial bombardment. In a statement released Monday, the association appealed for urgent international intervention, stating: “Without immediate help, they could die.”
The association stressed the unprecedented nature of the crisis, saying, “Since AFP’s founding in 1944, we’ve lost colleagues to war, seen injuries and imprisonment — but never have we faced the possibility of losing someone to hunger.”
AFP currently has ten journalists in Gaza — one freelance writer, three photographers, and six freelance video journalists — who continue to report from the devastated enclave, where no international media access has been granted for nearly two years.
The statement was accompanied by harrowing messages from the journalists themselves, including Facebook posts revealing their deteriorating physical condition and emotional exhaustion.
Among them is 30-year-old photojournalist Bashar, who has been with AFP since 2010 and became lead photographer in 2024. In a July 19 post, he wrote, “I no longer have the strength to work in the media. My body is thin. I can’t work anymore.” Bashar currently lives in the ruins of his destroyed home in Gaza City with his mother and siblings, surviving on scraps shared by relatives.
Like most Gazans, Bashar has been displaced multiple times in search of safety, enduring over a year of extreme poverty. A recent update revealed his older brother had collapsed from hunger.
Despite receiving monthly payments, the journalists’ earnings no longer cover skyrocketing prices amid the siege. The collapsed banking system has further complicated matters, with money transfers being subjected to intermediary cuts as high as 40%. AFP, the statement said, is unable to provide fuel or equipment, and drone strikes make traveling by vehicle too dangerous — forcing journalists to walk or use donkey carts.
In the south of Gaza, video journalist Ahlem said she is determined to “keep bearing witness,” though every assignment could be her last. “Every time I leave the tent to cover a story or interview someone, I don’t know if I’ll come back alive,” she said. Her biggest challenge, like others, is simply accessing food and water.
The association described the team’s physical and emotional condition as dire. “We are watching them collapse. They are young, but their strength is fading,” the statement said. “Their messages are now short, broken — they no longer have the energy to send updates.”
Since March 2, when Israel shut down Gaza’s main crossings, the flow of humanitarian aid — including food and medical supplies — has been effectively halted. Rights groups have widely condemned the closure, warning that starvation is being used as a weapon of war against Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
A recent video shared online shows several journalists sheltering inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital surviving only on salt and water, underscoring the extreme levels of hunger now setting in.
Al Jazeera’s Anas Al-Sharif has also reported on the deepening famine, recalling that during last year’s assault on northern Gaza, many survived on animal feed — which, he says, is no longer available.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Government Communication Center reported on July 18 that, over 650 days of war, at least 228 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces. The statement added that more than 421 journalists have been injured and 48 arrested since the start of the assault.
