Fighting the bias: What Gazans on the ground are actually saying

Where do you get your news from?

Since 7 October, we have been noticing a wide range of bias in mainstream media's coverage of Hamas' terrorist attack (which killed 1,400 Israelis) and Israel's siege of Gaza as retaliation – which killed over 4,000 Palestinians as of this writing. 

There is also news coming out of news outlets based in the Middle East, but most are largely vilified for their support of Palestine – when they are merely reporting on the reality at ground zero. Recently, a colleague in Dhaka warranted caution for bias because I was using AlJazeera as a news source because "you know, they are also biased."

At a time when social media is ravaged by swathes of disinformation and biased media coverage, one can argue that the most reliable source for news remains the Gazan journalists reporting from the carpet-bombed Gaza. One is Plestia Alaqad, who requested earlier that interview requests or messages are not sent in because even notifications on her phone eat up the charge in light of Israel's cutting electricity off in Gaza.

Here's a compilation of what some of the Gazans on the ground had to say about the latest development. On 21 October, the first convoy of humanitarian aid, which was 20 trucks, was allowed to enter Gaza from Eqypt through the Rafah border crossing.

Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad

"I am devastated. I ran out of words to describe how I am feeling or what's happening. We sleep every night in Gaza not knowing if we will wake up or not, and if we woke up, on what news we will wake up? It's sad that we reached a point where we are supposed to feel grateful for the 20 humanitarian aid trucks that will barely do anything to people as there is a HUGE shortage in literally everything. It's been two weeks and till no news about [a] ceasefire.

How many more victims and how many more bumps until the world wakes up?"

Posted on Instagram on 21 October a photo with this caption.

Palestinian blogger and journalist Muna Hawwa

"Gaza continues to suffer as vital supplies remain restricted for the 14th consecutive day with only 20 trucks allowed in meeting less than 0.03% of urgent needs."

Posted a reel in Arabic on Instagram on 21 October with this caption.

Photo journalist Wissam Nassar

"I don't know how to be happy because they knew how to convince them to enter aid and not be upset that they don't know how to convince them to stop the beating and assault. And people who [continue to] die, it means they eat, die and take medicine and die and drink and die. The important thing is they eat, drink and take medicine. My brain is at a standstill. I can't rejoice in anything except what is happening in Gaza has [to be] stopped. If it stops, I will be upset with [how] the people died, the people got injured and the children were orphaned.

Stop what is happening, please stop!"

Posted a video clip of the humanitarian trucks entering Gaza on Instagram on 21 October with this caption in Arabic, translated to English.

Palestinian filmmaker Wizard Bisan 

"Seriously are you, world, celebrating the [entry of] 20 humanitarian aid trucks.. 20? Do we need to spend more two weeks under bombing? Kill more 5,000 people, innocent civilians, children? Do we need to destroy 10,000 more buildings? Do we need to displace more 2 million people? They really own the governments, the United Nations and everything. Humanity is a lie. Hope is a lie. I spent the last 10 days seeing children cut into pieces every single day. I cannot sleep. I don't have a place to sleep, I don't have anything to eat or drink. I don't have any place to go. Now you are celebrating 20 trucks. By the way, we consume more than 20 trucks a day, a day in normal conditions. Not when we are without homes, without work, without anything.

Posted a video clip on 21 October on Instagram. This is the transcription of the clip.

Human Rights Activist, Global Youth Ambassador and Journalist Yara Eid – posted a video clip on 20 October on Instagram describing the situation in Gaza. The following is a transcription of the video clip.

"Guys I don't think you understand the gravity of what is happening. So Israeli officials have asked Palestinians in northern Gaza a few days ago to move and go to the southern parts because they are going to be safer. But while they were moving they bombed them committing massacres and killing so many people who were trying to move — from the north to the south as they asked them to do.

Not only that, so many people could not go to the South because so many people do not have the means of transport. There are no taxis running in Gaza right now. There are no buses. We don't have a metro system in Gaza. So they are asking them to walk. [Do] you know how far it is? It takes up to more than 3 hours walking. These people who haven't had food, no electricity, basic rights, they don't have it. You are asking them to walk at least 3 hours to go somewhere where actually they will be bombed and killed. Because so many massacres are being committed in the south.

"Not only that but my grandma and some of my aunts, [and] some of my close people in my family literally cannot walk, they are old and they are sick. They are not able to walk this amount of distance. Not only that, they are now targeting and asking UNRWA schools to evacuate. The UN schools, which are the only shelters in the north, they are asking them to evacuate. More than 5 schools where thousands of displaced Palestinians are taking refuge, thousands of children are there with their family, [and] they are asking them to evacuate. 

"Not only it's impossible for these many people to move but where they supposed to go? The UN has said this move is completely impossible. You can't move this many people in [a] few days when they don't have fuel, when they don't have transport. When there's continuous bombardment everywhere.

"Not only that, but yesterday [Oct 19] they are bombing everything… so many residential buildings have been completely wiped [out] from the map. Not only that but so many people have been displaced. They are staying in the streets. They are literally sleeping on the pavements of the streets.

"So if people cannot go to hospitals because they are going to be bombed, and they can't go to churches or mosques or any place that's safe, because they are going to be bombed, where are you asking these people to go? Do you understand the gravity of what I am talking about? Do you understand that Israel is literally not only displacing people, not only committing massacres.. But this is ethnic cleansing. Basically what Israel is trying to do is give you a choice between death and death. Tell me that this is not genocide."