A prominent Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, who has been documenting the impact of the Israel’s war on Gaza, has made it to Time’s 100 most influential people in the world list.
The Times magazine has recognised Motaz as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024 in the ‘Icons’ category.
The magazine describes Motaz as, “The world’s eyes and ears in his native Gaza for 108 days. Armed with a camera and a flak jacket marked ‘PRESS.’”
“The 25-year-old Palestinian photographer spent nearly four months documenting life under Israeli bombardment: families displaced from homes, women mourning loved ones, a man trapped beneath the rubble.”
It added, “His images offered a glimpse into Gaza that few in the international press—which has been all but barred from accessing the Strip—could rival. He did so at great risk; at least 95 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7.”
The magazine further said that since his evacuation, Azaiza had moved to raising awareness of the crisis and calling for international intervention.
“What is happening in Gaza is not content for you,” he was quoted as saying by the magazine. “We are not telling you what is happening … for your likes or views or shares. No, we are waiting for you to act. We need to stop this war.”
“I am really blessed to share my country name with me wherever I go or whatever I achieve,” Motaz wrote on X.
“For those who don’t recognize Palestine as a state, or for those who claim that it is their land. Palestine gonna be free one day from Zionists and occupation. Everyone does his part, and my part is not done yet,” he added.
Since 1999, Time Magazine has been releasing its annual Time 100 list, recognizing influential individuals across various fields.
This year’s list includes Dua Lipa, Hayao Miyazaki, Patrick Mahomes, Max Verstappen, and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
