Israeli accounts casting doubt on the journalists’ suffering in Gaza

Accounts on “X” platform (formerly known as Twitter) shared a video clip of a Palestinian TV correspondent in Gaza collapsing while covering the news. The accounts commented on the video, claiming:

“We are not sure if the medical supplies reached the hostages in Gaza, but it is clear that they reached Hamas journalists. Pallywood networks state that the journalists’ fatigue is due to hunger, but in reality, it is the effect of drugs!”

“We are not sure if the medical supplies reached the hostages in Gaza, but it is clear that they reached Hamas journalists. Pallywood networks state that the journalists’ fatigue is due to hunger, but in reality, it is the effect of drugs!”

In another video of a correspondent from Al-Alam TV, its circulators claimed it was a staged scene, stating: “Fantastic production from Bollywood studios.”

The circulation of these videos is a part of the campaign to cast doubt on the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza using the hashtag “#Pallywood.”

The Palestinian Observatory “Tahaqaq” has examined the authenticity of the videos and the circulating claims by researching publicly available sources. It was found that the videos were genuine but were being employed in a misleading context.

The first video documents the moment when the Palestinian TV correspondent Amr Al-Dahoudi collapsed while covering the news live in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, about five days ago. Al-Dahoudi vehemently denied the circulating claims clarifying the details of what had happened, stating: “After 113 days of continuous coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, I fainted in front of the camera and live on air due to exhaustion and fatigue. I suddenly felt unable to breathe and experienced severe dizziness due to lack of sleep and food.”

“After 113 days of continuous coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, I fainted in front of the camera and live on air due to exhaustion and fatigue. I suddenly felt unable to breathe and experienced severe dizziness due to lack of sleep and food.”

Furthermore, Al-Dahoudi mentioned that he tried to maintain composure and continue his journalistic mission but he was unable to do so and collapsed to the ground.

Al-Dahoudi pointed out that many journalists in Gaza have been experiencing exhaustion and fainting spells on other times due to round-the-clock field coverage amidst the significant suffering Palestinians endure in Gaza.

As for the second video, it captures the moment when Al-Alam TV correspondent Israa Al-Buhaisi fainted live on air at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on October 26, 2023. Al-Buhaisi recounted the details of what had happened to “Tahaqaq,” saying: “At that moment, I was covering the Israeli Occupation’s targeting of the family of my colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh. Just before the coverage, I witnessed the retrieval of the bodies of another family that was targeted in the same location where Al-Dahdouh family was targeted. Seeing these scenes, especially the body of a small child among them, I couldn’t hold myself together. Additionally, the lack of healthy food and clean water are added to the situation. After witnessing all of these scenes, I felt the need to deliver a journalistic message. When speaking in front of the camera, I recalled everything I had seen before the coverage which led to dizziness, extreme fatigue, and a decrease in oxygen in my blood. I was subsequently transferred to the emergency department of the hospital.”

“At that moment, I was covering the Israeli Occupation’s targeting of the family of my colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh. Just before the coverage, I witnessed the retrieval of the bodies of another family that was targeted in the same location where Al-Dahdouh family was targeted. Seeing these scenes, especially the body of a small child among them, I couldn’t hold myself together. Additionally, the lack of healthy food and clean water are added to the situation. After witnessing all of these scenes, I felt the need to deliver a journalistic message. When speaking in front of the camera, I recalled everything I had seen before the coverage which led to dizziness, extreme fatigue, and a decrease in oxygen in my blood. I was subsequently transferred to the emergency department of the hospital.”

The Observatory Team(Tahaqaq) also documented other scenes capturing the first moments of Israa Al-Buhaisi’s collapse. The footage shows a photojournalist rushing to assist her followed by clips documenting the medical team’s efforts to provide assistance. These observations refute and deny the claim that the scene was staged.

It is worth noting that Israeli Occupation continues targeting journalists since the outbreak of the aggression on October 7, 2023 resulting in the martyrdom of 116 journalists and media workers, the displacement of 1,200 journalists, the arrest of 56 journalists in Palestinian territories, and the loss of families for dozens of journalists.