Becoming the story: Injured journalists battle to leave Gaza for treatment

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported from Gaza City on July 26, 2026, that injured and seriously ill Palestinian journalists are pressing for urgent medical evacuation from Gaza, where specialist treatment is largely unavailable during the war. The report focuses on freelance photojournalist Mohammed al-Qahouji, 40, who was badly wounded in a January 7, 2024 Israeli air raid that killed Al Jazeera’s Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Abu Thuraya while they were returning from covering body recovery efforts in southern Gaza.

According to Al Jazeera, al-Qahouji has undergone more than 25 operations after injuries to his face, hand and spine, including titanium implants and the amputation of one finger. Doctors cited in the report say he needs further reconstructive surgery and long-term rehabilitation abroad. Another journalist, photojournalist Moaz al-Salhi, 34, said his Crohn’s disease has worsened since he was unable to begin planned biological treatment in Israel after the war began in October 2023.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate held a sit-in at its Gaza City headquarters on Wednesday, with injured journalists calling for evacuation for treatment and for guarantees they can return afterward. Ahed Farwana, the syndicate’s secretary-general, told Al Jazeera that more than 40 journalists in Gaza have serious injuries or medical conditions requiring care outside the enclave. The syndicate also criticised Israel over movement restrictions and said international organisations had not done enough beyond statements.

The issue sits within a wider medical evacuation crisis. Al Jazeera cited the World Health Organization as saying more than 18,500 patients in Gaza need urgent specialised treatment outside the territory, while only limited numbers have been able to leave through evacuation mechanisms and intermittent crossing openings.