Injured Gaza Journalists Demand Medical Evacuation
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- Mohammed al-Qahouji, a 40-year-old freelance photojournalist, survived an Israeli air raid on January 7, 2024, that killed Al Jazeera journalists Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Abu Thuraya; he has since undergone more than 25 surgeries for facial, hand, and spinal injuries but still needs reconstructive operations only available abroad.
- Al-Qahouji says his injuries have reduced his working ability by 90 percent, leaving him torn between continuing to document the war and seeking life-changing surgery.
- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate held a sit-in at its Gaza City headquarters demanding medical evacuation for injured and sick journalists, displaying photos of 263 media workers killed by Israel during the war.
- PJS secretary-general Ahed Farwana says more than 40 Palestinian journalists currently have serious war-related injuries requiring treatment only available outside Gaza; the syndicate has submitted medical files to international organizations to facilitate evacuations and guarantee the right to return after treatment.
- Moaz al-Salhi, a 34-year-old photojournalist diagnosed with severe Crohn's disease in 2022, was due to begin biological treatment in Israel in October 2023 when the war erupted, leaving him without the critical care he needs and causing weekly collapses and hospital readmissions.
- The World Health Organization reports more than 18,500 patients in Gaza currently require urgent medical evacuation for specialized care unavailable locally, with only a fraction having left through a limited medical evacuation mechanism.
- The Rafah crossing, Gaza's main route for patients seeking treatment abroad, has been only partially and periodically opened by Israel, allowing only small numbers of sick Palestinians and their companions to leave for treatment in Egypt or other countries.
Why it matters: Over 18,500 patients in Gaza need urgent medical evacuation, but Israel's restrictions on the Rafah crossing leave most trapped — including injured journalists like al-Qahouji (25+ surgeries) and al-Salhi (untreated Crohn's). The PJS frames blocked evacuation as a denial of basic human rights, with 263 media workers already killed during the war.
