Motaz Azaiza, a Palestinian journalist, has garnered global attention with his horrific photographs documenting the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the Israel’s military.
Recently featured on TIME100’s list of the World’s Most Influential People, Azaiza spoke to TIME at the TIME100 Gala in New York City.
Following visits to Columbia University and New York University, where he engaged with students, Azaiza expressed gratitude for the solidarity encampments supporting Gaza across American campuses. He emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the situation in his homeland, emphasizing the humanity of the Palestinian people and their right to live freely.
Motaz Azaiza said on the red carpet, that the people of Palestine are “humans” and deserve to be allowed to live. “We are humans,” he stated. “Not human animals. We’re asking for and fighting for our freedom. My people are getting killed, murdered, and starving. Struggling to find food, shelter, they are in tents…people are really suffering. It’s now 200+ days of suffering and murdering people—civilians, most of them are women and children.”
Azaiza lamented the suffering endured by Palestinians, including the loss of over 100 journalist colleagues to attacks, stressing the need for journalists to be protected worldwide. He concluded with a call for a free Palestine.
