Ayat Khadoura

I am Mona Khader, a journalist from Gaza and coordinator of Filistiniyyat, the Palestinian Women Journalists’ Club. I am Mona Khader, a journalist from Gaza and coordinator of Filistiniyyat, the Palestinian Women Journalists’ Club.

Maybe the hardest and worst thing is to talk about our colleagues who have been martyred in this genocidal war. Maybe the hardest and worst thing is to talk about our colleagues who have been martyred in this genocidal war. There are images that, even now, we just can’t get out of our heads, There are images that, even now, we just can’t get out of our heads, because the genocide is still here, it hasn’t stopped. because the genocide is still here, it hasn’t stopped. The starvation is still ongoing. The starvation is still ongoing. The killing is still ongoing. The killing is still ongoing. I chose to speak about my colleague Heba al-Abadla because of the bond we had. I chose to speak about my colleague Heba al-Abadla because of the bond we had. Heba, while she was still at university, started training with us at Filistiniyyat. Heba, while she was still at university, started training with us at Filistiniyyat. She was a really bright, strong young woman even back when she was at university. She was a really bright, strong young woman even back when she was at university. She had huge ambitions to become a well-known journalist. She had huge ambitions to become a well-known journalist. She looked up to many women journalists, She looked up to many women journalists, including our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, may God have mercy on her, who was also assassinated by the Israeli occupation. including our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, may God have mercy on her, who was also assassinated by the Israeli occupation. She wanted to become like them. She wanted to become like them. She worked very hard at school and graduated at the top of her class. She worked very hard at school and graduated at the top of her class. She was an advocate for human rights and freedoms. She was an advocate for human rights and freedoms. She was very well-read and intelligent. She was very well-read and intelligent. Heba got married after graduating, but her marriage did not keep her from pursuing her ambitions. Heba got married after graduating, but her marriage did not keep her from pursuing her ambitions. She had a daughter. She had a daughter. Heba’s life was... Heba’s life was... I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to say. Heba was just very, very ambitious. Heba was just very, very ambitious. She had incredibly high aspirations. She had incredibly high aspirations. She went on to join a number of journalists’ groups and collectives. She went on to join a number of journalists’ groups and collectives. She always loved reporting. She always loved reporting. She really, really enjoyed broadcast journalism. She really, really enjoyed broadcast journalism. She put a huge amount of work into developing herself as a journalist. She put a huge amount of work into developing herself as a journalist. Heba was a victim of the Israeli occupation. Heba was a victim of the Israeli occupation. The last thing I remember from Heba was her pleading on Facebook to be rescued. The last thing I remember from Heba was her pleading on Facebook to be rescued. The occupation forces had besieged her neighborhood, The occupation forces had besieged her neighborhood, as happened to so many colleagues who were martyred in their homes. as happened to so many colleagues who were martyred in their homes. Whose homes were destroyed. Whose homes were destroyed. Perhaps the most recent was Marwa Musallam, who kept appealing for help on Facebook for maybe a week from under the rubble. Perhaps the most recent was Marwa Musallam, who kept appealing for help on Facebook for maybe a week from under the rubble. No one could rescue her because civil defense’s capacity had been severely depleted after two years of war and blockade, with no new supplies or equipment coming in. No one could rescue her because civil defense’s capacity had been severely depleted after two years of war and blockade, with no new supplies or equipment coming in. It was only after her martyrdom that she was removed as a skeleton from under the rubble. It was only after her martyrdom that she was removed as a skeleton from under the rubble. Skulls under their homes. Skulls under their homes. I hope Marwa is the last journalist whose body has to be recovered. I hope Marwa is the last journalist whose body has to be recovered. The war is still ongoing and this is very, very frightening. The war is still ongoing and this is very, very frightening. It is terrifying. It is terrifying.

Despite all this, journalists, men and women, are still there in Gaza. Despite all this, journalists, men and women, are still there in Gaza. They are determined to keep showing what’s happening, to keep reporting this genocide. They are determined to keep showing what’s happening, to keep reporting this genocide.

Going back to Heba... I keep thinking about the distress we felt with her in those final moments as she begged everyone to rescue her. Going back to Heba... I keep thinking about the distress we felt with her in those final moments as she begged everyone to rescue her. She appealed to the Red Cross and kept calling them. She appealed to the Red Cross and kept calling them. No one at all was able to rescue them and she was martyred while holding her daughter. No one at all was able to rescue them and she was martyred while holding her daughter. She was posting on her page about everything that was happening. She was posting on her page about everything that was happening. She wrote about the airstrikes on the house they were in. She wrote about the airstrikes on the house they were in. The place where they were sheltering. The place where they were sheltering. Everyone in the house was a civilian. Everyone in the house was a civilian. She kept writing about the tanks advancing until she was martyred. She kept writing about the tanks advancing until she was martyred. And that also reminds me of another colleague. And that also reminds me of another colleague. Heba was martyred while she was posting on Facebook, calling for someone to rescue her, for everyone to help her. Heba was martyred while she was posting on Facebook, calling for someone to rescue her, for everyone to help her. She couldn’t... She couldn’t... This occupation is a criminal occupation. This occupation is a criminal occupation. A criminal, murderous occupation. A criminal, murderous occupation.

There’s also my colleague Ayat, Ayat Khaddoura. There’s also my colleague Ayat, Ayat Khaddoura. Ayat was martyred and even now her voice still rings in our ears as she cried out to the world to rescue her, Ayat was martyred and even now her voice still rings in our ears as she cried out to the world to rescue her, “Save us, save us, save us.” “Save us, save us, save us.” Ayat was martyred, but her voice still echoes in our ears because she was calling on everyone to rescue her until she was martyred. Ayat was martyred, but her voice still echoes in our ears because she was calling on everyone to rescue her until she was martyred. No one was able to rescue her from this criminal occupation, which targets civilians and anyone trying to bring the truth to light. No one was able to rescue her from this criminal occupation, which targets civilians and anyone trying to bring the truth to light. Ayat Khaddoura stayed in a refugee camp in North Gaza, giving voice to the North right up until the last moment of her life. Ayat Khaddoura stayed in a refugee camp in North Gaza, giving voice to the North right up until the last moment of her life. The same was true of Heba al-Abadla, who kept sharing news on her own social media platforms until her final moment. The same was true of Heba al-Abadla, who kept sharing news on her own social media platforms until her final moment. Marwa Musallam, who was martyred a while ago, did the same thing. Marwa Musallam, who was martyred a while ago, did the same thing. She too kept appealing for help while trapped under the rubble. She too kept appealing for help while trapped under the rubble. What can we say about the journalists who’ve been martyred? What can we say about the journalists who’ve been martyred? What can we say about the journalists who’ve been martyred? What can we say about the journalists who’ve been martyred? It’s hard, so, so hard for us to talk about them. It’s hard, so, so hard for us to talk about them. It’s hard to document their lives. It’s hard to document their lives. Even if all we’re doing is trying to say simply who they were, what work they did... Even if all we’re doing is trying to say simply who they were, what work they did... It’s hard, very hard. It’s hard, very hard.

I hope they become immortal. I hope they become immortal. I hope their memory lives on, that we keep speaking about them. I hope their memory lives on, that we keep speaking about them. That we speak of their desperate efforts to expose the occupation’s crimes until their last moments, like Ayat, Heba, and Marwa Mussalam, and so many other women and men in the field. That we speak of their desperate efforts to expose the occupation’s crimes until their last moments, like Ayat, Heba, and Marwa Mussalam, and so many other women and men in the field.

For you, I don’t know what your role could be. For you, I don’t know what your role could be. It is important to save what remains of the Gaza Strip. It is important to save what remains of the Gaza Strip. It is vital to save the people who still remain in Gaza. It is vital to save the people who still remain in Gaza. The situation is very, very difficult. The situation is very, very difficult. Very, very, very difficult. Very, very, very difficult. There needs to be some kind of intervention so that we can keep going, so that journalists in Gaza can keep going. There needs to be some kind of intervention so that we can keep going, so that journalists in Gaza can keep going.