Key Points
- Palestinian journalist Hossam Salam describes the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighting the severe lack of food, clean water, and medicine.
- Salam emphasizes that there are no truly “safe zones” in the Gaza Strip, as even areas designated for displaced civilians continue to face bombardment.
- The interview sheds light on the extreme risks faced by local reporters, with Salam noting the high number of journalists killed since the conflict began.
- Despite the personal loss of his home and colleagues, Salam remains committed to documenting the reality on the ground to inform the international community.
Full Transcript (English)
Host (Jun Hori): Hello. This is Jun Hori from 8bitNews. Today, we are connecting with Gaza to speak with Palestinian journalist Hossam Salam. Hossam, thank you for joining us under such difficult circumstances. Can you tell us where you are right now and what the situation is like?
Guest (Hossam Salam): Thank you, Jun. Currently, I am in the central part of the Gaza Strip, specifically in the Deir al-Balah area. I am living in a tent, like hundreds of thousands of other displaced people. The situation here is beyond description. It is a humanitarian catastrophe. We are struggling every single day just to find the basics of life—clean water, a bit of food, and some electricity to charge our phones and cameras so we can continue our work.
Host: We have seen reports that even the areas designated as “safe zones” are being attacked. Is that what you are experiencing?
Guest: Exactly. There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. Not in the north, not in the center, and not in the south. The Israeli military tells people to move to certain areas for safety, but then those very areas are targeted. We see children and women being killed in their tents. As a journalist, I have to document these scenes every day, and it is heartbreaking. You are not just a reporter; you are a witness to the destruction of your own people.
Host: You are also a journalist. We know that many of your colleagues have lost their lives. How do you manage to keep reporting while facing such personal danger?
Guest: It is very difficult. More than 100 journalists have been killed since October 7th. Many of them were my friends and colleagues. My own house was destroyed, and I lost everything. But we have a mission. If we don’t report what is happening, the world will not know the truth. We use whatever tools we have—sometimes just a mobile phone—to send out videos and photos. The internet is very weak, and often we have to travel to dangerous areas just to find a signal to upload our reports.
Host: What is the most urgent message you want to send to the people in Japan and the rest of the world?
Guest: My message is simple: We want this war to stop. We want to live in peace like any other people in the world. We want our children to go to school instead of being buried in mass graves. We ask the international community to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop the massacres. We are humans, not just numbers in a news report. Please, do not look away from Gaza.
Host: Hossam, thank you for your courage and for sharing your testimony with us. Please stay safe.
Guest: Thank you, Jun. I will do my best to keep reporting.
