Oct. 7 footage taken by Gazan not published to avoid harming Palestinian mob

Key Points:

• Gazan photographer and journalist Motaz Azaiza filmed Israeli hostages being beaten by a Gazan mob on October 7, 2023, but chose not to publish the footage to protect Palestinians involved from potential Israeli retaliation.
• Azaiza, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, publicly criticized Hamas’s leadership for bringing disaster to Gaza and questioned the effectiveness of their military campaign in protecting Palestinians.
• He condemned Hamas for delaying a deal that could have saved lives, accusing the group of causing immense suffering in Gaza while suppressing dissent through organized online attacks on journalists.
• After fleeing Gaza, Azaiza described living under constant pressure and surveillance, feeling targeted by Hamas’s suppression apparatus, and expressed deep frustration and psychological trauma despite his international recognition.
• Azaiza conveyed a conflicted love for Gaza, calling it a toxic place that both nurtures and destroys its people, lamenting the high price paid to satisfy leaders who disregard the population’s wellbeing.