At that moment of horror, I found my anchor: reporting for +972 Magazine. With unreliable internet connections and fleeting hours of calm, I ran across Gaza City to write dispatches from the ground, trying to capture the enormity of what we as Palestinians were enduring. It wasn’t just journalism to me, but a duty.

This Human Rights Day, as we reflect on the universal freedoms we are meant to cherish, I urge you to consider one of the most basic rights: the right to tell our own stories. For Palestinian journalists in Gaza, this right is under constant threat.

When foreign reporters are not permitted entry into Gaza, and global headlines too often blur our stories into statistics, it is us, Palestinian journalists, who step forward — bearing witness, documenting truth, and reclaiming our narrative.

But this work comes at an extraordinary cost. Gaza is now the deadliest place in the world for journalists. Since October 2023, at least 183 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. Many of us have been displaced, wounded, or targeted by relentless attacks on press freedom. The risks we face are not accidents; they are deliberate attempts to silence our stories.

In the face of these challenges, +972 has worked tirelessly to amplify our voices, as Palestinian journalists and writers. From Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, to across the Palestinian diaspora, +972’s coverage ensures that the world hears the stories that others might overlook, and it is your continued support to +972 that makes this possible. I’m proud to be one of the writers whose work +972 has supported — from my early contributions long before the war began, to my reporting from northern Gaza, and now, as I write from exile.

Our stories are not acts of storytelling, but acts of defiance against an army and a state that seeks to erase our testimonies. When you read our articles, you’re not just learning about Gaza. You’re experiencing a piece of the tragedy as we live it. You’re seeing through our eyes, hearing through our voices, and understanding through our pain. And every reader, every supporter and every member becomes a part of this story.

Even in exile, far from my people and destroyed home, the sights, sounds, and smells of Gaza remain with me. I carry them in my words, my memories, and my determination to ensure that the world does not forget. Thanks to you, +972 can remain a beacon for brave, independent journalism, shining light into the darkness and holding power to account.

Gaza’s story is not just mine. It is ours — a story of survival, resistance, and the unrelenting pursuit of justice. We can ensure that this story continues to be told, that it reaches the far corners of the world, and that it inspires action in the hearts of those who read it.

Your support is crucial, and I would like to thank you for it. I urge you to continue reading, sharing, and amplifying my reporting and analysis on +972 Magazine, and on my Substack channel. And I would kindly ask you to share this message with friends and family who may want to join our community as members and supporters of +972 Magazine.

This is more than a call to support a magazine. It’s an invitation to stand with truth, to amplify justice, and to carry forward the voices of Gaza’s people.

Warmly,
Mohammed R. Mhawish
+972 Magazine Contributor