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The Moroccan journalist Mohamed El Bakkali, Al Jazeera's correspondent, is facing imminent danger. Currently aboard the Handala, a humanitarian sailboat bound for Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade, the vessel is on the brink of interception by the Israeli army. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued an urgent call for his protection.
El Bakkali is documenting this mission alongside American cameraman Waad Mohamed Salim Al Taii. They are the sole journalists on board for Al Jazeera, engaged in a perilous operation to report on the delivery of aid to Gaza, a territory isolated from the world.
On Saturday, July 26, at around 8:15 PM, the Handala was approximately 100 kilometers off the coast of Gaza when the Israeli army approached. The vessel carried journalists and French MPs. Gabrielle Cathala from La France Insoumise announced on X: «The Israeli army is very close. We are going to throw our phones into the water. Glory to the Palestinian people and to those who resist.»
The Handala follows in the wake of the Madleen, another ship seized in June while attempting to reach Gaza. Onboard were MEP Rima Hassan and activist Greta Thunberg. The passengers were expelled to Jordan, with Rima Hassan detained for three days.
Since March, Israel has enforced an almost total humanitarian blockade on Gaza, pushing the Palestinian population to the brink of famine. According to the United Nations, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the end of May while simply trying to secure food. «766 of them were killed near GHF sites», stated Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the BBC.
The work of journalists like Mohamed El Bakkali is crucial. Their presence, their perspective, and their words serve as one of the few connections between Gaza and the outside world.
