MOTAZ Azaiza’s fingers were so busy capturing death and destruction in Gaza that his brain didn’t get the chance to reflect on the impact he was making. That is not to say he just winged it — only that he knew he had to do something for his people because the Western world would not.

Today, he is followed by over 17 million people on Instagram and although he is only 25, his face says otherwise.

In a candid interview with Muslim magazine, Azaiza reflected on the bittersweet irony of his success. “I reached billions of people, the truth reached billions of people, and nothing changed.”

Azaiza’s camera has captured the unspeakable — turning lenses on a genocide Western media hesitated to cover. His images, broadcast to millions around the world, have transformed the way people view the plight of Palestinians.

Azaiza never intended to be a photojournalist. For him, photography was initially a hobby. “I just wanted to find my way to be a travel photographer, capture the beauty,” he explained, “and yeah, just find a life. That’s it. I’m not a hero. I can’t fly.”

However, life in Gaza, marred by Israel’s ceaseless violence, made it impossible for him to ignore the devastation around him.

Bearing witness amid blockades

Over the past year, as Gaza endured Israel’s intensified air strikes, Azaiza emerged as a critical source of news. Working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and living within Gaza, he documented atrocities Western media often avoided, becoming a trusted figure for millions seeking the unfiltered truth.

After Oct 7, when Israel expanded its occupation of Gaza, foreign journalists were blocked from entry, making Azaiza’s work even more essential. “Nobody could just count on Western media,” he shared. “They [people] saw the truth through me, through other journalists on the ground, [through] Gazans themselves.”

He criticised the bias of mainstream reporting, saying: “It’s easy for [media] to cover from the Israeli side because Israel is controlling everything on the ground.

“To be honest, a lot of times I felt that I was going to lose my faith,” Azaiza said. “But my mum taught me that once it gets harder, you should stick to your faith and beliefs.” Despite the immense danger he faced, including narrowly surviving an attack by an Israeli tank, Azaiza found comfort in his faith. “There was something from inside telling me that God will save me. I spent a lot of days scared, but God was there for me. Alhamdulillah.”

The aftermath

The trauma of documenting Israel’s relentless assault has left Azaiza emotionally scarred. “Witnessing the loss of my relatives, family, and friends in front of my own eyes — yeah, this will change you. Maybe it’s changed me forever, I don’t know. But I’m not focusing on myself right now.”

Azaiza said that his purpose has shifted from capturing beauty to advocacy. “I have a huge responsibility on my shoulders. I’m trying to respect this and be the voice for my people, so people can continue taking actions to stop the genocide.”

Emphasising the importance of recognising the humanity of Palestinians, Azaiza said: “I don’t want the world to forget that we are humans. So we feel weak, we feel strong, we cry, we smile, we laugh, we dance. We are humans.”

He expressed his frustration with the world’s indifference. “Thank you for watching us being killed for almost a year in front of the cameras. And doing nothing.”

His photos have done more than just document a conflict — they have exposed the truth of a genocide.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024