Unforgettable Stories, Indelible Memories
Unforgettable Stories, Indelible Memories Nusayba Mousa| Senior Producer, Al Jazeera News Channel
May 13, 2021 was the last day of the holy month of Ramadan and the fourth day of our coverage of Israel’s military operation against the Gaza Strip. As is usual under such circumstances, the workload was immense. As Israel intensified its offensive across the Strip, the incoming images of death and destruction were horrifying. Being born and raised in Gaza, where my entire family lives, I always felt that working for Al Jazeera was a form of support not only for my family, but for all my fellow Palestinians. I am helpless to defend them against the atrocities committed by the Israeli forces, but I can at least tell their story to the world. I would hear our correspondents say “The Israeli jetfighters are targeting Khan Yunis,” and my heart would beat faster, as my mother, brother, his wife and five children live there. While busy with our extended live coverage of the Israeli aggression, I kept following the social media posts of local activists and other friends living in Khan Yunis. Suddenly, I read a post saying two people had been killed in Bani Sehaila town, east of Khan Yunis. My heart almost stopped beating. Unable to focus any more, I moved away from my desk and kept browsing through the posts. As I
scrolled, I saw an image of the charred remains of a car. I read the names of those who were in it. My uncle’s was among them. I hurried to my phone and called my mother. There was no answer. So, I called my brother. He didn’t answer either. A few seconds later, I received a text message of condolence. I stood speechless, with tears pouring down my face. As the shocking news started to sink in, images of family memories kept rolling before my eyes. Countless are the heart-breaking stories we report as journalists. How numerous the shocking images we view and write about are. But to be part of one of those images is a totally different matter. At the end of the day, a journalist is nothing but a human being; a member of a family. We, the journalists, often report stories of fallen victims, and on some occasions those victims are our beloved friends or family members. It goes without saying that every story written has a part of its writer’s own heart and soul in it. A journalist is no exception. This can be easily heard in their words, felt in their voice, and seen in their body language.
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