Plestia Alaqad
بلستيا العقاد
Born (2001-12-10) December 10, 2001
Alma materEastern Mediterranean University
OccupationJournalist
Known forDocumenting the Gaza–Israel conflict on social media

Plestia Alaqad (Arabic: بلستيا العقاد; born 2001)[1] is a Palestinian citizen journalist.

Early life

Alaqad previously worked as an HR professional at a marketing agency while she built a small Instagram following online during her free time.[2] She regularly conducted media training as well, while also doing freelance journalism related work.[3] Prior to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Alaqad's online content mainly consisted of travel content to locations such as Cyprus and Turkey.[4] According to her, she also documented her everyday life on Instagram to show her followers that there was more to Gaza than war and conflict.[3]

Online presence

Alaqad gained recognition online after she began posting video diaries documenting life in Gaza during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war to Instagram.[1][5][6] By November 3, Alaqad had accumulated 2.1 million followers on Instagram;[5] by November 22, she had nearly 4 million.[7] Alaqad's videos have been shared by the ABC,[8] BBC,[9] Business Today,[10] The Independent,[11] The New York Times,[12] PBS NewsHour,[13] and The Washington Post.[14] She was also interviewed by the GB News Breakfast Show about conditions in Gaza.[10]

In her videos, Alaqad has expressed that, in light of the war, she understands her late grandfather's emotions surrounding his experiences during the Nakba, the mass flight and expulsion of Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine War.[15]

On November 22, 2023, Alaqad left Gaza for Egypt via the Rafah Border Crossing.[7] In a video, she explained that although the choice was difficult, she feared her reporting was putting her family in danger.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Gebeily, Maya; Lubowicka, Anna Magdalena (2023-10-11). "Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment feels like new 'Nakba'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  2. ↑ Khanwala, Sugra. "How Gaza war changed this Palestinian content creator's life". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. 1 2 Michaelson, Ruth (2023-12-12). "'I'm not just covering the news – I'm living it': Gaza's citizen journalists chronicling life in war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. ↑ "5 Doctors and Journalists Playing Vital Roles in Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis". Vogue Arabia. 2023-10-30. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  5. 1 2 Abbruzzese, Jason; Ingram, David; Yasmine, Salam (2023-11-03). "On Instagram, Palestinian journalists and digital creators documenting Gaza strikes see surge in followers". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  6. ↑ Price, Mikayla (2023-11-04). "Pressure for cease-fire mounts; expert describes suffering Gaza". CBS Chicago. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  7. 1 2 3 Woodward, Alex (2023-11-22). "Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad flees Gaza: 'I hope this nightmare ends'". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  8. ↑ "'We can't breathe,' Gaza resident shows life under bombardment". www.abc.net.au. 2023-10-10. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  9. ↑ "Hiding at home, blinded and choked by dust - life in Gaza". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  10. 1 2 Madhukalya, Anwesha (2023-10-12). "Israel-Hamas war: Inside war-torn Gaza with a brave Instagram journalist". Business Today. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ↑ Browning, Oliver (10 October 2023). "Young woman in Gaza films herself sheltering as bombs drop outside window". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ El-Naggar, Mona; Clarke, Chevaz; Boyer, Mark (2023-10-13). "Video: Two Young Women Capture Life Under Siege Inside Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  13. ↑ "Fears of bigger war grow as Israel-Hamas fighting continues after surprise attack". PBS NewsHour. 2023-10-10. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  14. ↑ Wagner, Laura (October 16, 2023). "It's becoming impossible to report from Gaza". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ "'No place safe': a Gaza journalist's life under siege". Yahoo News. 2023-10-11. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
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