From Gaza’s Frontlines to Exile: How Refugee Journalists in Egypt Have Been Silenced

June 18, 2025 – Palestine/Egypt/Israel – 

Youmna El Sayed, once a frontline journalist for Al Jazeera in Gaza, now finds herself silenced and stateless in Cairo. Fleeing Gaza’s war in 2024, she joins more than 250 Palestinian journalists who have taken refuge in Egypt—alongside others scattered across Oman, Qatar, Turkey, and Canada—according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate’s Cairo office.

El Sayed recalls the abrupt transformation of her life: “I was a journalist until the day I crossed the border. Now, I am just a refugee with a press card that no longer holds any weight.” Most of these journalists were freelancers, without contracts, insurance, or institutional support. Now, cameras and microphones sit unused as they struggle to survive in exile.

Without legal status, work permits are denied by Egypt, effectively barring them from earning a living legally. This predicament intensifies for Al Jazeera staff, still forbidden from operating in Egypt due to the long-standing ban on the Qatari network since 2011. Gaza reporters who worked with Al Jazeera face additional risks of persecution if they continue bearing the network’s identity.

A fortunate few tied to international media outlets with formal contracts have managed to retain their salaries or join staff abroad. But for most, the destruction of Gaza’s media infrastructure means total joblessness—and a loss of voice. El Sayed emphasizes that journalism for her wasn’t just a job; it was breathing, a calling. Denied the opportunity to report, she says, is like being denied the right to breathe.

Reports highlight the wider toll: many exiled journalists live in cramped apartments, relying on dwindling savings, NGOs, or the generosity of friends. They support families back home, constantly under stress and uncertainty. Emotionally estranged from their profession, they’re cut off from telling the story of Gaza’s ongoing suffering.

They stress the loss extends beyond individuals—it’s a systematic erasure of Palestinian perspectives. With Gaza media crippled, the truth falls silent at a time when international audiences most need accountable reporting. El Sayed and her colleagues appeal to global media platforms and freedom-of-expression organizations for safe pathways to work: legal recognition, temporary relocation, freelancing opportunities, and permit assistance.

She pleads: “Let our silence not be the final chapter.” The journalist’s exile isn’t just physical—it’s a professional and moral crisis. Gaza’s displaced reporters carry the stories of their people—but without support, those stories may never be told.

Reference – 

https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/06/once-gaza-journalist-now-refugee-egypt-silenced-media/