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Plestia Alaqad

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Plestia Alaqad
بلستيا العقاد‎
Born (2001-12-10) 10 December 2001 (age 23)
Gaza Strip
NationalityPalestinian
Alma materEastern Mediterranean University
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • poet
Years active2023–present
Known forDocumenting the Israel–Hamas war on social media

Plestia Alaqad (Arabic: بلستيا العقاد; born 10 December 2001)[1] is a Palestinian journalist and poet. She gained international attention for her daily coverage of the Israel–Hamas war, which began on 7 October 2023, by way of her social media accounts.

In November 2023, as the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip intensified, Alaqad and her family fled to Egypt and then to Australia, where she continued her advocacy on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Early life and education

Alaqad was born on 10 December 2001 and grew up in the Gaza Strip.[2][3] She has an older brother and a younger sister. Her mother is the former head of the American International School in Gaza's middle school. Her father is employed abroad.[4] She attended the American International School in the city of Beit Lahia, and later enrolled at Eastern Mediterranean University in what is de facto Northern Cyprus to study New Media and Journalism, graduating in 2022.[5][6]

In August 2024, Alaqad won the Shireen Abu Akleh Memorial Scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts (MA) in Media Studies at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.[4][7]

Career

Alaqad previously worked as a human resources professional at a marketing agency while gathering a small online following on Instagram in her free time.[8] She regularly conducted media training as well, in addition to engaging in freelance journalism.[9] Prior to the Israel–Hamas war, Alaqad's online content mainly consisted of travel content, covering locations like Cyprus and Turkey.[10][9]

Outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war

A recent graduate of Eastern Mediterranean University, Alaqad was due to start a new job on 8 October 2023.[3] However, on 7 October 2023, the Hamas-led attack on Israel triggered what would become the deadliest war of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Shortly after the Israeli government declared that it was imposing a "total blockade" on the Gaza Strip, Alaqad began documenting the effects of the Israeli bombardment campaign and posted the video diaries to her Instagram account.[1][11][12] By November 3, she had accumulated 2.1 million followers on Instagram,[11] and that figure doubled by 22 November.[13] Alaqad's videos have been shared by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,[14] the British Broadcasting Corporation,[15] Business Today,[16] The Independent,[17] The New York Times,[18] PBS NewsHour,[19] and The Washington Post.[20] She was also interviewed by the GB News Breakfast Show for an inquiry on how Gazans' lives had been affected by the war.[16]

In light of the intensity of the Israeli military's offensive and the high Palestinian death toll accompanying it, Alaqad has accused Israel of waging a genocidal war against the Palestinian people. She has also stated that her experiences with the Israel–Hamas war have driven her to understand her late grandfather's emotions towards the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, which is known as the Nakba in Palestinian society.[21]

Since leaving Gaza

On 22 November 2023, roughly one month into the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Alaqad and her family fled to Egypt via the Rafah Border Crossing[13] and then, a few days later, to Australia,[22] having secured visas via her uncle.[3] In a later video, Alaqad, residing in Melbourne, explained that she chose to leave the Gaza Strip because she feared that her journalism was putting her family in immediate danger.[13][23]

In February 2024, Alaqad took part in the Bankstown Poetry Slam in the city of Sydney, where she presented poetry that she had written about the war in her diary while she was in the Gaza Strip.[24]

In a six-way auction, Pan Macmillan won the rights to publish Alaqad's debut book The Eyes of Gaza, a series of diary extracts, in 2025.[25][26]

Awards

In December 2024, Plestia Alaqad was included on the BBC's 100 Women list,[27] and shared Amnesty International Australia's inaugural Human Rights Defender Award with Palestinian journalists Bisan Owda, Anas Al-Sharif, and Ahmed Shihab-Eldin.[28]

Bibliography

  • The Eyes of Gaza (2025)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gebeily, Maya; Lubowicka, Anna Magdalena (11 October 2023). "Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment feels like new 'Nakba'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Inside Gaza: Palestinian journalist, 22, says 'it's massacre, complete genocide'". ITV News. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Sieff, Kevin (28 December 2023). "An aspiring journalist documented Gaza's beauty, then its destruction". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.(subscription required)
  4. ^ a b "Plestia Alaqad lands at AUB". American University of Beirut. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ Leake, Matthew (20 December 2023). "Gazan journalist Plestia Alaqad on covering the war on Instagram: "I want the world to see us as humans"". Reuters Institute. University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ Alizee Ali Khan (3 December 2023). "Plestia Alaqad: A Gaza Journalist's Inspiring Story". Medium. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ^ Chehayeb, Kareem (3 September 2024). "Young Palestinian journalist who reported on Gaza's destruction now continues education in Lebanon". AP News. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  8. ^ Khanwala, Sugra. "How Gaza war changed this Palestinian content creator's life". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b Michaelson, Ruth (12 December 2023). "'I'm not just covering the news – I'm living it': Gaza's citizen journalists chronicling life in war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  10. ^ "5 Doctors and Journalists Playing Vital Roles in Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis". Vogue Arabia. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b Abbruzzese, Jason; Ingram, David; Yasmine, Salam (3 November 2023). "On Instagram, Palestinian journalists and digital creators documenting Gaza strikes see surge in followers". NBC News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. ^ Price, Mikayla (4 November 2023). "Pressure for cease-fire mounts; expert describes suffering Gaza". CBS Chicago. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  13. ^ a b c Woodward, Alex (22 November 2023). "Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad flees Gaza: 'I hope this nightmare ends'". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  14. ^ "'We can't breathe,' Gaza resident shows life under bombardment". www.abc.net.au. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Hiding at home, blinded and choked by dust - life in Gaza". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  16. ^ a b Madhukalya, Anwesha (12 October 2023). "Israel-Hamas war: Inside war-torn Gaza with a brave Instagram journalist". Business Today. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  17. ^ Browning, Oliver (10 October 2023). "Young woman in Gaza films herself sheltering as bombs drop outside window". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  18. ^ El-Naggar, Mona; Clarke, Chevaz; Boyer, Mark (13 October 2023). "Video: Two Young Women Capture Life Under Siege Inside Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Fears of bigger war grow as Israel-Hamas fighting continues after surprise attack". PBS NewsHour. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  20. ^ Wagner, Laura (16 October 2023). "It's becoming impossible to report from Gaza". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ^ "'No place safe': a Gaza journalist's life under siege". Yahoo News. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  22. ^ Michaelson, Ruth (12 December 2023). "'I'm not just covering the news – I'm living it': Gaza's citizen journalists chronicling life in war". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  23. ^ Kaur, Harmeet (19 January 2024). "Violence in Gaza turned these everyday Palestinians into chroniclers of war". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  24. ^ Dumas, Daisy (12 February 2024). "Poetry forged in war: Palestinian exile and social media sensation Plestia Alaqad leaves Sydney audience in tears". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  25. ^ Snow, Maia (25 September 2024). "Pan Macmillan wins six-way auction for rights to first-hand Gaza account". The Bookseller. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  26. ^ Jalal, Maan (25 September 2024). "Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad's first book set to be released in 2025". The National. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  27. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?". BBC. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Human Rights Defender Awards". Amnesty International Australia. 12 December 2024.
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