‘I knew these giants, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Qreiqeh and Anas al-Sharif’

ESSAY

I met Mohammed and Anas during our sum of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, and we were each successful awe of them.

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – The archetypal clip I met Mohammed Qreiqeh was astatine al-Ahli Arab Hospital successful Gaza City connected January 31 erstwhile we had conscionable returned from confederate Gaza to the north.

I went to Al Jazeera’s media structure astatine the hospital, wherever helium was. Photographer Abdel “Abed” Hakim and I introduced ourselves, and we each chatted – astir the situation, the warfare and our displacement to the south.

At the time, Anas al-Sharif was doing a unrecorded report.

I felt a lukewarm consciousness of familiarity. I was yet seeing Anas, whose reports we had followed passim our displacement. He didn’t look antithetic from however helium did connected screen, but helium had a beardown beingness successful person.

We approached Anas aft helium finished his study and spoke briefly. He knew Abed well, but it was the archetypal clip I met him. He spoke with humility and an casual grin during our abbreviated speech – helium had to spell study crossed bluish Gaza.

My little gathering with Anas and Mohammed that time felt similar lasting earlier giants, almighty and unshakable. In their presence, I felt similar thing compared to their strength, determination and persistence contempt the horrors that had unfolded successful the north.

Those of america reporting from the southbound often marvelled astatine their strength, and we were ever arrogant of them.

I met Mohammed and Anas respective times aft that.

On April 13 erstwhile al-Ahli Arab Hospital successful the centre of Gaza City was struck by 2 missiles, the gathering was little but lukewarm – the benignant that you could consciousness however acceptable they were to assistance astatine immoderate moment.

That day, Mohammed advised maine to absorption connected definite points and pointed maine towards a spot to get important interviews and information. Moments later, helium excused himself to spell unrecorded connected air.

This was thing Anas and Mohammed shared: tireless enactment and a willingness to assistance immoderate writer connected the ground, particularly arsenic veterans who knew each inch of bluish Gaza.

The past clip I saw Anas was past week extracurricular al-Shifa Hospital successful Gaza City. I had gone determination to movie an interview.

We exchanged a speedy greeting because, arsenic always, helium was engaged and getting acceptable for a unrecorded broadcast. I watched him motion to his cameraman wherever to acceptable up nether the blazing sun.

For a moment, I observed him, his vigor and professionalism, contempt the question of Israeli incitement and threats against him. My parting words to him were: “Stay safe,” due to the fact that we each knew helium could beryllium a people astatine immoderate moment.

When the quality came of his assassination connected Sunday night, it was a catastrophe, not lone for journalists, but for each Palestinians who considered Anas a son, idiosyncratic who told their stories.

The writer archetypal met Mohammed Qreiqeh astatine the extremity of January [Al Jazeera]

Everyone hoped the quality was wrong, but it wasn’t. And it carried different blow: Mohammed, Moamen Aliwa, Mohammed Noufal and Ibrahim Zaher had besides been targeted.

Al Jazeera Arabic’s full bluish Gaza unit had been wiped retired – correspondents, cameramen and instrumentality – erased.

The charges against them were ready-made, fabricated. But everyone knows Israel fears lone 1 thing: the truth.

It was a infinitesimal erstwhile I hated everything. I hated journalism – present a prevarication for a satellite that does not perceive america oregon spot us, a satellite that waits for our deaths, waits for america to go the quality alternatively of delivering it.

It was a infinitesimal dense with futility, with the shamelessness of the transgression and yet heavier with the rage that the crimes spell unpunished.

Why wasn’t Anas protected? Why was helium near alone, facing decease astatine immoderate moment? Why did we person to ticker this arsenic conscionable different quality item?

Journalism has go a fearfulness and a curse that shadows america all, each moment.

Anas, Mohammed and their colleagues are nary longer present to clasp the microphones oregon cameras, but their voices, courageousness and relentless pursuit of information volition stay etched successful Gaza’s memory.