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Created page with "'''Motaz Hilal Azaiza''' (Arabic: معتز هلال عزايزة; born 30 January 1999) is an Arab Muslim Palestinian photojournalist from Gaza, UNRWA affiliat..."
'''Motaz Hilal Azaiza''' (Arabic: معتز هلال عزايزة; born 30 January 1999) is an [[Arab]] [[Muslim]] Palestinian photojournalist from [[Gaza]], [[UNRWA]] affiliated, known for his coverage of the [[Oct 7 War]] and his large social media following. In 2023, he was named ''GQ Middle East'''s Man of the Year, and one of his photographs was selected among ''Time'' magazine's top 10 photographs of 2023. He was also included on ''Time'''s list of the ''Time 100|100 most influential people of 2024.''
Azaiza's wartime photography received international attention. In September 2026, publications reported on remarks he made during an Arabic-language podcast interview concerning the October 7 attacks, beating Israeli hostages, media controls in Gaza, aid campaigns, Palestinians self inflicted injuries for money from Hamas, his political affiliations, and the conduct of Palestinians during the war. In the interview, Azaiza discussed his past affiliation with [[Hamas]] and subsequent affiliation with [[Fatah]], as well as his experiences working as a photographer and documenting events in Gaza.
== October 7 footage ==
In a September 2026 interview on the ''Taqarrab'' podcast, Azaiza said he filmed Israeli hostages being beaten and assaulted after they were brought into Gaza on October 7, 2023, but did not publish the footage.
Azaiza recalled seeing a vehicle belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades carrying Israeli captives. He said that people gathered around the captives, watched them, beat them and hit them while he followed the group and filmed. He said he chose not to publish the recordings because he did not want to expose the people who appeared in them to identification and Israeli military action. <ref>{{cite news |last=Leon |first=Eli |title=Oct. 7 footage taken by Gazan not published to avoid harming Palestinian mob |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 19, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-909113}}</ref>
He said that he understood Israel could use the videos to identify people who had participated in the attacks on the hostages. <ref>{{cite news |title=Gaza journalist admits hiding footage of Hamas hostages being beaten |work=Israel Hayom |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/22/gaza-photographer-hides-hostage-footage/}}</ref>
In another translated excerpt from the same interview, Azaiza described his reaction to the people surrounding the kidnapped captives. He referred to the captives first as "the Jews" before changing his wording to "the Israelis." <ref name=nordau1>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza explains his reaction to watching Hamas terrorists with their kidnapping victims on October 7 |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101876336004395423}}</ref>
== Holocaust comments ==
A separate translated excerpt from the interview concerned the Holocaust. Azaiza said, "It means nothing next to what is happening," when discussing the Holocaust in comparison with events in Gaza. The Arab interviewer agreed that Gaza was worse, characterizing the Holocaust as targeted while describing the war in Gaza as blanket targeting affecting everyone. <ref name=nordau2>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza on the Holocaust |work=X |date=September 21, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2102227352537256360}}</ref>
[[JFeed]] also included the Holocaust discussion among a series of translated excerpts from Azaiza's Arabic-language interview. <ref name=jfeed92226>{{cite news |last=Isaacson |first=Gila |title=Motaz Azaiza: Gazans were Hoping for War |work=JFeed |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/tlrqf8}}</ref>
== Hamas control of media in Gaza ==
Azaiza described a ''WhatsApp'' group called ''Smart'', which included every journalist working in Gaza. The group was under Hamas media operations and was used to coordinate media campaigns and pressure journalists whose reporting departed from the group's preferred narrative. He said such campaigns were not spontaneous.
Azaiza also said that photographers in Gaza had become accustomed to lowering their cameras whenever someone criticized Hamas. Journalists were facing relentless persecution when they showed material or statements that conflicted with Hamas's position.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Mathilda |title=Gaza journalists operating under Hamas media controls were given platforms in Westminster |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 23, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909466}}</ref>
Azaiza said Hamas' controlled "Smart" app included every journalist working in Gaza at the time. <ref name=jpost92326>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Mathilda |title=Gaza journalists operating under Hamas media controls were given platforms in Westminster |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 23, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909466}}</ref>
Azaiza also described that Palestinians who criticized Hamas were punished or killed. He also referred to Palestinians being thrown from rooftops, shot in the legs or burned, and asked why such deaths received little attention outside Gaza. <ref name=nyp92226>{{cite news |author=Post Editorial Board |title=The ugly truth about Gaza reporting that most media choose to ignore |work=New York Post |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://nypost.com/2026/09/22/opinion/the-ugly-truth-about-gaza-reporting-that-most-media-ignore/}}</ref>
== Aid campaigns and the period before October 7 ==
In translated excerpts from the interview, Azaiza said that many 'people in Gaza hoped for a war,' for an escalation because war brought the attention of international organizations and employment opportunities. He said, "People only know us through war." <ref>{{cite news |last=Isaacson |first=Gila |title=Motaz Azaiza: Gazans were Hoping for War |work=JFeed |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/tlrqf8}}</ref>
Azaiza also described staying awake until approximately 4 a.m. before October 7 to celebrate the success of videos he had produced in an effort to pressure the United States Congress to release $75 million in food aid through [[UNRWA]]. He said that his work involved producing videos, filming and showing the material to American audiences in order to generate pressure concerning the funding. <ref name=nordau0>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza admits Gazans were hoping for war |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101723773657559043}}</ref>
JFeed reported that UNRWA USA confirmed Azaiza had worked as a freelance content producer for the organization before the war. <ref name=jfeed92226/>
== 2018 Great March of Return ==
Azaiza discussed the 2018 Great March of Return border demonstrations and described young men in Gaza burning their own legs with hot iron rods to create wounds resembling sniper injuries. According to his account, the purpose was to receive payments associated with people wounded during the demonstrations.
He said he had been present at the demonstrations while working with ambulances and therefore knew about the practice. <ref name=nordau2018>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza on faked injuries during the Great March of Return |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101736418477306163}}</ref>
JFeed reported Azaiza's account together with his discussion of Hamas payments for deaths and injuries during the demonstrations.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== "Political" affiliations ==
Azaiza said in the interview that he had supported [[Hamas]] when he was young before withdrawing from the organization. He said that he subsequently aligned himself with Fatah because university scholarships required affiliation with a particular political faction. <ref name=nordau2018/>
He also described Palestinian political violence and said that hundreds of Palestinians had been killed by other Palestinians, including people who were thrown from rooftops, shot in the legs or burned.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== Views on Hamas and armed resistance ==
Azaiza criticized Hamas's conduct during the war organization's non-protection of Palestinian civilians. He had not seen a Palestinian in Gaza protected by Hamas's weapons from October 7 onward.
At the same time, JFeed reported that Azaiza said he continued to support "armed resistance," ([[terrorism]]) while claiming that he supported resistance "that brings results."<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== English-language reporting ==
Azaiza explained that he shifted much of his wartime media production into English rather than Arabic. In the translated interview, he said that Arabic-language content did not produce the same level of attention or assistance and that English-language communication reached audiences capable of providing greater international attention and funding.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== Recognition ==
Azaiza's photography brought him international recognition during the Israel–Hamas war. Mediaite reported that he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and was included on ''Time'' magazine's 2024 list of the 100 most influential people. ''Time'' described his photographic documentation of life in Gaza during the early months of the war. <ref name=mediaite92226>{{cite news |last=James |first=Sean |title=Celebrated Gaza Journalist Who Hung Out With Zohran Mamdani Admitted to Hiding Footage of 10/7 Attacks on Israeli Hostages |work=Mediaite |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.mediaite.com/politics/celebrated-gaza-journalist-who-hung-out-with-zohran-mamdani-admitted-to-hiding-footage-of-10-7-attacks-on-israeli-hostages/}}</ref>
== Appearances and relationships with public figures ==
Mediaite reported that Azaiza met New York City Islamo-socialist Mayor [[Zohran Mamdani]] on multiple occasions. Azaiza posted a photograph with Mamdani in August 2025 during Mamdani's mayoral campaign, later attended Mamdani's election-night victory celebration, and visited Mamdani at Gracie Mansion in July 2026. <ref name=mediaite92226/>
[[Fox News]] reported that a video also resurfaced showing children's entertainer Ms. Rachel referring to Azaiza as her "friend." The report appeared in connection with renewed attention to Azaiza's statements about filming Israeli hostages being beaten on October 7 and withholding the footage. <ref>{{cite news |last=Womack |first=CJ |title=Ms Rachel calls Gaza journalist ‘friend’ in resurfaced clip after he admits hiding Oct 7 hostage footage |work=Fox News |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ms-rachel-calls-gaza-journalist-friend-resurfaced-clip-admits-hiding-oct-7-hostage-footage.amp}}</ref>
== Westminster appearances by Gaza journalists ==
The ''Jerusalem Post'', citing research by the Henry Jackson Society, reported that several Gaza-based journalists who worked within the media environment described by Azaiza subsequently appeared before British parliamentarians.
The report cited Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh's appearance in Parliament in September 2025, Azaiza's participation in a Nakba Day event at Westminster Central Hall in May 2024, Abubaker Abed's participation in a House of Commons panel in July 2025, and Youmna El Sayed's participation in a Westminster screening of ''Gaza'' in October 2024.<ref name=jpost92326/>
== New York Post editorial ==
An editorial by the ''New York Post'' Editorial Board described Azaiza's interview as significant for its discussion of censorship, media controls and the suppression of footage showing attacks on Israeli hostages. How much in the media relied on his reporting in propagating the "genocide" lie. The editorial also highlighted Azaiza's statements concerning his meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas-aligned journalist group, Palestinian violence against Palestinians, and conditions in Gaza before October 7. <ref name=nyp92226/>
== See also ==
*[[Palestinianism]]
{{Arab-Israeli conflict}}
[[Category:terrorism]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:media
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
Azaiza's wartime photography received international attention. In September 2026, publications reported on remarks he made during an Arabic-language podcast interview concerning the October 7 attacks, beating Israeli hostages, media controls in Gaza, aid campaigns, Palestinians self inflicted injuries for money from Hamas, his political affiliations, and the conduct of Palestinians during the war. In the interview, Azaiza discussed his past affiliation with [[Hamas]] and subsequent affiliation with [[Fatah]], as well as his experiences working as a photographer and documenting events in Gaza.
== October 7 footage ==
In a September 2026 interview on the ''Taqarrab'' podcast, Azaiza said he filmed Israeli hostages being beaten and assaulted after they were brought into Gaza on October 7, 2023, but did not publish the footage.
Azaiza recalled seeing a vehicle belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades carrying Israeli captives. He said that people gathered around the captives, watched them, beat them and hit them while he followed the group and filmed. He said he chose not to publish the recordings because he did not want to expose the people who appeared in them to identification and Israeli military action. <ref>{{cite news |last=Leon |first=Eli |title=Oct. 7 footage taken by Gazan not published to avoid harming Palestinian mob |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 19, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-909113}}</ref>
He said that he understood Israel could use the videos to identify people who had participated in the attacks on the hostages. <ref>{{cite news |title=Gaza journalist admits hiding footage of Hamas hostages being beaten |work=Israel Hayom |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/22/gaza-photographer-hides-hostage-footage/}}</ref>
In another translated excerpt from the same interview, Azaiza described his reaction to the people surrounding the kidnapped captives. He referred to the captives first as "the Jews" before changing his wording to "the Israelis." <ref name=nordau1>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza explains his reaction to watching Hamas terrorists with their kidnapping victims on October 7 |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101876336004395423}}</ref>
== Holocaust comments ==
A separate translated excerpt from the interview concerned the Holocaust. Azaiza said, "It means nothing next to what is happening," when discussing the Holocaust in comparison with events in Gaza. The Arab interviewer agreed that Gaza was worse, characterizing the Holocaust as targeted while describing the war in Gaza as blanket targeting affecting everyone. <ref name=nordau2>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza on the Holocaust |work=X |date=September 21, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2102227352537256360}}</ref>
[[JFeed]] also included the Holocaust discussion among a series of translated excerpts from Azaiza's Arabic-language interview. <ref name=jfeed92226>{{cite news |last=Isaacson |first=Gila |title=Motaz Azaiza: Gazans were Hoping for War |work=JFeed |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/tlrqf8}}</ref>
== Hamas control of media in Gaza ==
Azaiza described a ''WhatsApp'' group called ''Smart'', which included every journalist working in Gaza. The group was under Hamas media operations and was used to coordinate media campaigns and pressure journalists whose reporting departed from the group's preferred narrative. He said such campaigns were not spontaneous.
Azaiza also said that photographers in Gaza had become accustomed to lowering their cameras whenever someone criticized Hamas. Journalists were facing relentless persecution when they showed material or statements that conflicted with Hamas's position.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Mathilda |title=Gaza journalists operating under Hamas media controls were given platforms in Westminster |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 23, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909466}}</ref>
Azaiza said Hamas' controlled "Smart" app included every journalist working in Gaza at the time. <ref name=jpost92326>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Mathilda |title=Gaza journalists operating under Hamas media controls were given platforms in Westminster |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 23, 2026 |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909466}}</ref>
Azaiza also described that Palestinians who criticized Hamas were punished or killed. He also referred to Palestinians being thrown from rooftops, shot in the legs or burned, and asked why such deaths received little attention outside Gaza. <ref name=nyp92226>{{cite news |author=Post Editorial Board |title=The ugly truth about Gaza reporting that most media choose to ignore |work=New York Post |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://nypost.com/2026/09/22/opinion/the-ugly-truth-about-gaza-reporting-that-most-media-ignore/}}</ref>
== Aid campaigns and the period before October 7 ==
In translated excerpts from the interview, Azaiza said that many 'people in Gaza hoped for a war,' for an escalation because war brought the attention of international organizations and employment opportunities. He said, "People only know us through war." <ref>{{cite news |last=Isaacson |first=Gila |title=Motaz Azaiza: Gazans were Hoping for War |work=JFeed |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/tlrqf8}}</ref>
Azaiza also described staying awake until approximately 4 a.m. before October 7 to celebrate the success of videos he had produced in an effort to pressure the United States Congress to release $75 million in food aid through [[UNRWA]]. He said that his work involved producing videos, filming and showing the material to American audiences in order to generate pressure concerning the funding. <ref name=nordau0>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza admits Gazans were hoping for war |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101723773657559043}}</ref>
JFeed reported that UNRWA USA confirmed Azaiza had worked as a freelance content producer for the organization before the war. <ref name=jfeed92226/>
== 2018 Great March of Return ==
Azaiza discussed the 2018 Great March of Return border demonstrations and described young men in Gaza burning their own legs with hot iron rods to create wounds resembling sniper injuries. According to his account, the purpose was to receive payments associated with people wounded during the demonstrations.
He said he had been present at the demonstrations while working with ambulances and therefore knew about the practice. <ref name=nordau2018>>{{cite web |author=Max Nordau |title=Motaz Azaiza on faked injuries during the Great March of Return |work=X |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2101736418477306163}}</ref>
JFeed reported Azaiza's account together with his discussion of Hamas payments for deaths and injuries during the demonstrations.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== "Political" affiliations ==
Azaiza said in the interview that he had supported [[Hamas]] when he was young before withdrawing from the organization. He said that he subsequently aligned himself with Fatah because university scholarships required affiliation with a particular political faction. <ref name=nordau2018/>
He also described Palestinian political violence and said that hundreds of Palestinians had been killed by other Palestinians, including people who were thrown from rooftops, shot in the legs or burned.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== Views on Hamas and armed resistance ==
Azaiza criticized Hamas's conduct during the war organization's non-protection of Palestinian civilians. He had not seen a Palestinian in Gaza protected by Hamas's weapons from October 7 onward.
At the same time, JFeed reported that Azaiza said he continued to support "armed resistance," ([[terrorism]]) while claiming that he supported resistance "that brings results."<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== English-language reporting ==
Azaiza explained that he shifted much of his wartime media production into English rather than Arabic. In the translated interview, he said that Arabic-language content did not produce the same level of attention or assistance and that English-language communication reached audiences capable of providing greater international attention and funding.<ref name=jfeed92226/>
== Recognition ==
Azaiza's photography brought him international recognition during the Israel–Hamas war. Mediaite reported that he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and was included on ''Time'' magazine's 2024 list of the 100 most influential people. ''Time'' described his photographic documentation of life in Gaza during the early months of the war. <ref name=mediaite92226>{{cite news |last=James |first=Sean |title=Celebrated Gaza Journalist Who Hung Out With Zohran Mamdani Admitted to Hiding Footage of 10/7 Attacks on Israeli Hostages |work=Mediaite |date=September 22, 2026 |url=https://www.mediaite.com/politics/celebrated-gaza-journalist-who-hung-out-with-zohran-mamdani-admitted-to-hiding-footage-of-10-7-attacks-on-israeli-hostages/}}</ref>
== Appearances and relationships with public figures ==
Mediaite reported that Azaiza met New York City Islamo-socialist Mayor [[Zohran Mamdani]] on multiple occasions. Azaiza posted a photograph with Mamdani in August 2025 during Mamdani's mayoral campaign, later attended Mamdani's election-night victory celebration, and visited Mamdani at Gracie Mansion in July 2026. <ref name=mediaite92226/>
[[Fox News]] reported that a video also resurfaced showing children's entertainer Ms. Rachel referring to Azaiza as her "friend." The report appeared in connection with renewed attention to Azaiza's statements about filming Israeli hostages being beaten on October 7 and withholding the footage. <ref>{{cite news |last=Womack |first=CJ |title=Ms Rachel calls Gaza journalist ‘friend’ in resurfaced clip after he admits hiding Oct 7 hostage footage |work=Fox News |date=September 20, 2026 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ms-rachel-calls-gaza-journalist-friend-resurfaced-clip-admits-hiding-oct-7-hostage-footage.amp}}</ref>
== Westminster appearances by Gaza journalists ==
The ''Jerusalem Post'', citing research by the Henry Jackson Society, reported that several Gaza-based journalists who worked within the media environment described by Azaiza subsequently appeared before British parliamentarians.
The report cited Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh's appearance in Parliament in September 2025, Azaiza's participation in a Nakba Day event at Westminster Central Hall in May 2024, Abubaker Abed's participation in a House of Commons panel in July 2025, and Youmna El Sayed's participation in a Westminster screening of ''Gaza'' in October 2024.<ref name=jpost92326/>
== New York Post editorial ==
An editorial by the ''New York Post'' Editorial Board described Azaiza's interview as significant for its discussion of censorship, media controls and the suppression of footage showing attacks on Israeli hostages. How much in the media relied on his reporting in propagating the "genocide" lie. The editorial also highlighted Azaiza's statements concerning his meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas-aligned journalist group, Palestinian violence against Palestinians, and conditions in Gaza before October 7. <ref name=nyp92226/>
== See also ==
*[[Palestinianism]]
{{Arab-Israeli conflict}}
[[Category:terrorism]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:media
[[Category:Wikipedia]]