Gaza journalists seek medical evacuation for war injuries and illness
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says more than 40 Gaza media workers need treatment abroad as crossings remain restricted.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Gaza journalists medical evacuation has become an urgent demand for media workers who say war wounds and worsening illnesses cannot be treated inside the enclave. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says more than 40 journalists need care abroad, while the World Health Organization says Gaza has more than 18,500 patients awaiting urgent medical evacuation for specialised treatment.
Members of the syndicate staged a sit-in at its Gaza City headquarters on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. Injured journalists joined the protest and held images of media workers killed during the war, as the group pressed international bodies to secure treatment outside Gaza and guarantees that evacuated journalists could return afterward.
Why do Gaza journalists need medical evacuation?
Medical evacuation means transferring patients out of Gaza for treatment that local hospitals cannot provide. Al Jazeera reported that repeated attacks, movement restrictions and the destruction of healthcare facilities have left some injuries and chronic conditions beyond the capacity of Gaza’s medical system.
Ahed Farwana, secretary-general of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, told Al Jazeera that the group has sent medical files and supporting records to international organisations. He said the syndicate holds Israel responsible for blocking wounded journalists from leaving Gaza and has also criticised international organisations for limiting their response to expressions of concern.
One of the journalists seeking treatment is Mohammed al-Qahouji, a 40-year-old freelance photojournalist. Al Jazeera reported that he was badly wounded on January 7, 2024, after an Israeli air raid hit a media crew in southern Gaza, killing Al Jazeera’s Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Abu Thuraya.
According to Al Jazeera, al-Qahouji suffered severe facial wounds, damage to his right hand and spinal injuries. Surgeons implanted titanium plates in his face, amputated one finger and performed more than 25 operations, but doctors say he still needs reconstructive surgery and long-term rehabilitation outside Gaza.
Al-Qahouji now works while coping with pain in his jaw, hand and back, Al Jazeera reported. He has been living in a rented apartment after his home was destroyed in an Israeli bombing in November 2023, and he says his injuries have sharply reduced his ability to earn a living as a photographer.
Another journalist at the sit-in, 34-year-old photojournalist Moaz al-Salhi, has severe Crohn’s disease, according to Al Jazeera. He had been scheduled to begin biological treatment in Israel in October 2023, but the war began before he could start the care.
Al-Salhi told Al Jazeera his condition has repeatedly deteriorated since then, leading to frequent hospital visits and episodes in which he loses consciousness. He now carries medicine while working and said his family fears his illness could become irreversible if he remains unable to leave Gaza for specialist care.
Al Jazeera reported that Rafah, the main crossing for Gaza patients seeking treatment abroad, has opened only partially and at intervals, allowing limited numbers of sick Palestinians and companions to travel to Egypt or other countries. Aid agencies have warned that movement restrictions have delayed treatment for people with serious injuries, chronic diseases and conditions requiring care unavailable in Gaza.
The WHO says only a fraction of patients needing evacuation have managed to leave since the start of the war. Thousands remain on waiting lists, including journalists who have spent the war documenting Gaza and are now asking to leave long enough to survive and receive treatment.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.