Press TV Journalist of the Year: Abubaker Abed, the young chronicler of Gaza’s tragedy

By Press TV Staff Writer

In the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, ravaged by the 14 months of genocidal war, Abubaker Abed—a 21-year-old journalist from Deir al-Balah—has become a powerful voice of truth.

The young journalist has been fearlessly documenting the daily horrors of genocide while embodying the indomitable spirit of his people. He has been chronicling his own story and that of his people.

In the 454 days of Israeli-American genocide in the coastal territory, at least 201 journalists have been killed with the overall death toll surpassing 45,600—70 percent of them children and women.

Abed's reportage shines a light on unimaginable suffering, indomitable courage, and the collective hope for peace and normalcy in the largest open-air concentration camp in the world.

In a report for Press TV last week, Abed recounted the colossal challenges journalists face in documenting the genocide. Despite high risks, the courage of these media warriors is astounding.

Born and raised in Deir al-Balah, Abed has witnessed numerous waves of Israeli aggression over the years—in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. But the ongoing genocidal war that began 454 days ago has been the most devastating for him and his generation.

An avowed football enthusiast, Abed once envisioned the future of writing and commentating on the game massively popular in Gaza. He never imagined that he would one day report on the horrifying massacres of his people, about the genocidal war crimes of an apartheid regime.

In an interview with the Press TV website in late August, Abed passionately spoke of his love for football and his admiration for Chelsea FC before the Fulham-based Premier League club openly supported the Israeli regime’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians.

Fluent in English, Abed honed his language skills by watching Chelsea matches and following iconic players such as Frank Lampard and John Terry, and managers like Jose Mourinho and Roberto Di Matteo.

Abed now chronicles shattered lives, demolished homes, and a homeland under siege.

Unforeseen circumstances compelled the young man with simple dreams to don a press vest and report on daily genocidal crimes against his people – friends, family, and other fellow Gazans.

Mature beyond his years, the youngest Press TV correspondent at just 21, Abed’s dispatches from northern Gaza have both exposed the genocidal war crimes of the Israeli regime and highlighted the extraordinary resilience of the Palestinian people.

From barefoot children braving freezing nights in makeshift tents to the enforced disappearance of a beloved medic to the destruction of hospitals and universities to the massacre of journalists and athletes, Abed’s dispatches cut through the noise with raw truth and unyielding determination.

His reports also inspire hope – the hope of a better tomorrow, the hope of a free Palestine.

Through his powerful reports, evocative writings, heartfelt posts, and harrowing images, the 21-year-old journalist not only bears witness but also amplifies the voices of Palestinians, ensuring the world hears their cries, admires their strength and supports them in their struggle against the occupation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 25, Abed shared a poignant photo of himself sitting beside an elderly Palestinian woman, with notebook and pen in hand.

"Listening to and conveying people's stories to the world while being traumatized and starved is not journalism. It's far, far beyond that," he wrote.

"We continue to write and defend our homeland, and we highly appreciate the support of 'human' and 'real' journalists across the globe."

Abed’s reports from northern Gaza are searingly heartbreaking yet profoundly inspiring. In his final dispatch of the year for Press TV on Tuesday, he reflected on the "calendar year of tragedies and horrors" for his bleeding homeland.

"People in Gaza hope for a new year filled with peace and blessings as their pain has been compounded in the past year," he wrote, adding that he feels "privileged and honoured to have joined" Press TV.

The report looked back at the year’s events, defined by the worst humanitarian catastrophe amid the ongoing genocide and daily massacres, with most victims being children and women.

A forgettable year that began with the genocide and ended with the genocide.

A day before that, on Monday, Abed reported on the enforced disappearance of Gaza’s beloved lifesaver, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the head of Kamal Adwan Hospital.

Until recently, it was the only partially functional hospital in northern Gaza.

Dr. Abu Safiya, who had already lost his young son to the ongoing genocide and sustained grievous injuries during military raids on the hospital, refused to abandon his patients despite threats.

Last week, regime forces raided the hospital once again, arresting more than 300 patients and staff, including Dr. Abu Safiya. A haunting photo of him walking through ruins toward an Israeli military tank went viral. His whereabouts remain unknown.

"Reporting on the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu-Safiya and medical personnel as well as Israel's history of torturing Palestinian prisoners," Abed wrote in a tweet.

Abed has also reported on the severe challenges facing Gazans during the harsh winter, particularly those living in makeshift tents that have been flooded by rainwater in recent days.

At least five Palestinians, mostly children, have died from the severe cold in the past week, as temperatures plummeted, according to local officials.

One child froze to death after his father failed to procure a blanket for him. His other newborn son is in critical condition at a hospital due to hypothermia.

"I went to a tent of 8 children in the night, whose mother died in the war, to report on the freezing temperatures. I just saw barefoot children shivering with cold, fear, and hunger, sleeping on only a couple of mattresses and three blankets," Abed shared on X, accompanying his report for Press TV.

The young Palestinian journalist has also reported on deliberate Israeli attacks on mosques in Gaza, the destruction of schools, and the alarming collapse of the region’s healthcare system.

According to the latest data issued by Gaza’s health ministry, a total of 981 mosques have been completely or partially destroyed in 450 days of the genocidal war on the blockaded territory.

"Israel has destroyed over 80 percent of Gaza’s mosques and killed many imams and sheikhs, depriving people of worship. The few left are makeshift shelters now," Abed reported on December 28 from the ruins of a mosque in Deir al-Balah.

Abed has also extensively covered the deliberate killings of Palestinian athletes, including footballers, and the destruction of Gaza’s sports facilities by the Israeli occupation.

In its latest statement, the Palestinian Football Association revealed that at least 704 athletes, including 400 footballers—94 of them children—have been killed since October 2023.

FIFA, the world’s governing football body, has faced blistering criticism for repeatedly delaying its decision on Palestine's request to suspend Israel from international football.

"We, football players... don't pose any threat to the Israeli army. Our future has been destroyed here in Gaza... We have nothing left now," Abed quoted Ezz Shaqoura, a Khadamat Al-Maghazi defender, in an October report for Press TV.

He has also reported on what it means for fans to be stranded in a stadium in Gaza, living in makeshift and porous tents, while also highlighting the indomitable strength, resilience and hope that the people embody despite 14 months of death and devastation all around.  

Abed’s work has earned respect and admiration from people worldwide.

"Thank you, @AbubakerAbedW!! Your indomitable spirit, warmth, fight, & light is a microcosm of the anticolonial struggle that will undoubtedly triumph," wrote Meywa Montenegro, an academic from the US. "Deep gratitude to you for all the stories you've shared this year."

"In honor of the Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed @AbubakerAbedW, whose unwavering voice and steadfast dedication shine a light on the resilience of Palestine and the indomitable spirit of Gaza—your words inspire hope, justice, and unity," wrote X user and artist Bana Jebreel.

Some have even expressed concern over Abed's safety while reporting on the genocidal war with many of his colleagues already dead. However, he remains defiant. 

"Press TV has offered me all means of protection and shown great keenness for my safety. I am the one who refuses to wear a press vest and helmet," he wrote in response to a social media user who wondered why he doesn't wear a vest. 

"It's useless since they didn't protect 176 fellow journalists. Also, I don't want to feel like a war correspondent." 

As a young English-speaking sports journalist, Abed told the Press TV website in August last year that he has had "numerous opportunities" to leave Gaza, but he cannot bring himself to leave his family and friends behind.

"As someone from Deir al-Balah, I insisted on covering the news from here because most journalists on the ground aren’t as familiar with the area as I am. But even more importantly, I can’t leave my homeland. I have to defend it with my words—that’s the least I can do," he said at the time.

That’s exactly what he continues to do.

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