Palestinian Journalist Motaz Azaiza Evacuates Gaza

Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza announced his evacuation from Gaza earlier this morning, January 23rd, via his Instagram account. Azaiza has been consistently covering the escalating genocide in Gaza since October 7th, emerging as one of the most prominent voices on the ground.

“I had to evacuate for a lot of reasons; you all know some of it, but not all of it. Thank you all and pray for Gaza,” Azaiza stated.

Azaiza, on camera, removed his press vest and declared his decision to cease reporting from Gaza. Since October 7th, at least 82 journalists have been killed, 16 injured, 3 missing, and 25 arrested, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Before the Gaza Genocide, Azaiza's online posts primarily focused on capturing daily life in his native Gaza Strip. The scarcity of foreign journalists in the Gaza Strip, due to the denial of access by Israel, has positioned Azaiza as a crucial reporter on the ground.